ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vampire

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈvæmpaɪɹ// UK //vˈæmpaɪə// vam·pire Archaic Humorous Informal Slang Technical Vulgar

n. a monster from stories that drinks the blood of living people. In modern movies, they are often shown as very fast, strong, and afraid of the sun.

n. a preternatural being, commonly of folkloric origin, that subsists by feeding on the vital essence of the living. In contemporary fiction, the concept is frequently used as a metaphor for parasitic social or emotional relationships.


SIMPLE

The movie is about a vampire who lives in an old castle.

CONTEXTUAL

Legends say that a vampire cannot enter your home unless you invite them inside first.

COMPLEX

The gothic novel transformed the vampire from a bloated peasant corpse of eastern European folklore into a sophisticated, aristocratic predator that haunts the drawing rooms of high society.

Synonyms
Origin

From French vampire, from German Vampir, via Hungarian from a Slavic word, probably Serbo-Croatian vàmpīr /ва̀мпӣр, from Proto-Slavic *ǫpyrь. Doublet of oupire.

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