vampire

n. 1 supposed ghost or reanimated corpse sucking the blood of sleeping persons. 2 person who preys ruthlessly on others. 3 (in full vampire bat) tropical (esp. South american) bloodsucking bat. [french or german from magyar]

n. A blood-sucking ghost; a soul of a dead person superstitiously believed to come from the grave and wander about by night sucking the blood of persons asleep, thus causing their death. This superstition is now prevalent in parts of Eastern Europe, and was especially current in Hungary about the year 1730.