Vampire Meaning
/ˈvæm.paɪ.ə(ɹ)/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA mythological creature (usually humanoid and undead) said to feed on the blood or life energy of the living.
nounA person with habits traditionally ascribed to (literal) vampires, such as heliophobia, being a night owl, having pale skin, and so on.
Sentence Examples
Chris defeated the vampire knight!
The vampire movie filled them with terror.
A vampire can paralyze people just by looking at them.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The villagers believed a ____ lived in the old castle and came out at night to drink blood.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The movie tells a story about a ____ who lives in a dark castle and only comes out during the night today.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[I]n the Village of Medreyga in Hungary, certain dead Bodies (call'd there Vampyres) had kill'd several Persons by sucking out all their Blood: That Arnold Paul, an Heyduke, having kill'd four Persons after he was dead, his Body was taken up 40 Days after, which bled at the Nose, Mouth and Ears: That, according to Custom, they drove a Stake thro' his Heart, at which he gave horrid Groan, and lost a great deal of Blood. And that all such as have been tormented or kill'd by Vampyres, become Vampyres when they are dead."
— 1732 May 20, The London Journal, page 76, column 1:
"The universal belief is, that a person sucked by a vampyre becomes a vampyre himself, and sucks in his turn."
— 1819, John William Polidori, The Vampyre, London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, page xxi:
"From my laboratory in the Castle east
To the master bedroom, where the vampires feast
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes
To get a jolt from my electrodes
They did the Mash
They did the Monster Mash."
— 1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers:
"I'm a vampire, baby, sucking blood from the earth / Well, I'm a vampire, baby, sell you twenty barrels worth"
— 1974, Neil Young, “Vampire Blues”, in On the Beach:
""What followed this decision was exactly what we had expected: Mr. Fox, realizing that the public was tiring of Theda Bara in vampire roles, announced that he would star her in a production of Romeo and Juliet," she illustrated."
— 2004, David W. Menefee, The First Female Stars: Women of the Silent Era, page 4:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The villagers believed a ____ lived in the old castle and came out at night to drink blood.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The movie tells a story about a ____ who lives in a dark castle and only comes out during the night today.