WikiWord

English

vampire

/ˈvæm.paɪ.ə(ɹ)/ · noun

Meaning

  1. A mythological creature (usually humanoid and undead) said to feed on the blood or life energy of the living.
  2. A person with habits traditionally ascribed to (literal) vampires, such as heliophobia, being a night owl, having pale skin, and so on.
  3. A person with the medical condition porphyria cutanea tarda, colloquially known as vampirism, with effects such as photosensitivity and brownish-red stained teeth.
  4. A blood-sucking bat; vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus)
  5. A person who drains one's time, energy, money, etc.
  6. A vamp: a seductive woman who exploits men.
  7. A medical technician who works with patients' blood; especially, a phlebotomist.
  8. Synonym of anti-ship missile (ASM), particularly an incoming hostile one.
  9. To drain of energy or resources.

Etymology / origin

From French vampire, from German Vampir, via Hungarian from a Slavic word, probably Serbo-Croatian vàmpīr /ва̀мпӣр, from Proto-Slavic *ǫpyrь, further possibly from Proto-Turkic *ōpur (“glutton, witch, evil spirit”), or from native construction. Doublet of oupire.

  1. *ōpur(trk-pro)
  2. *ǫpyrь(sla-pro)
  3. vàmpīr//ва̀мпӣр(sh)
  4. Vampir(German)
  5. vampire(French)
  6. vampire (English)
  7. Relations: bor, der, der, der, der

Related words

Descendant words

Sources

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