Vampire

vam′pīr, n. in eastern Europe, an accursed body which cannot rest in the kindly earth, but nightly leaves its grave to suck the blood of sleeping men: an extortioner.— n. Vam′pire-bat , the name of several species of bats all supposed to suck blood—the real blood-suckers only in Central and South America, attacking cattle, horses, and sometimes human beings asleep.— adj. Vampir′ic .— n. Vam′pirism , the actions of a vampire or the practice of blood-sucking: extortion. [Fr.,—Servian vampir ; the word is common in the Slavonic tongues.]