vampire: Meaning and Definition of

vam•pire

Pronunciation: (vam'pīr), [key]
— n.
  1. a preternatural being, commonly believed to be a reanimated corpse, that is said to suck the blood of sleeping persons at night.
  2. (in Eastern European folklore) a corpse, animated by an undeparted soul or demon, that periodically leaves the grave and disturbs the living, until it is exhumed and impaled or burned.
  3. a person who preys ruthlessly upon others; extortionist.
  4. a woman who unscrupulously exploits, ruins, or degrades the men she seduces.
  5. an actress noted for her roles as an unscrupulous seductress: the vampires of the silent movies.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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