Vampirism — Vam pir*ism, n. [Cf. F. vampirisme.] [1913 Webster] 1. Belief in the existence of vampires. [1913 Webster] 2. The actions of a vampire; the practice of bloodsucking. [1913 Webster] 3. Fig.: The practice of extortion. Carlyle. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
vampirism — [vam′pīr iz΄əm, vam′pə riz΄əm] n. 1. superstitious belief in vampires 2. the practices of vampires in folklore, specif. bloodsucking 3. the act or practice of preying ruthlessly on other people … English World dictionary
vampirism — vampire ► NOUN 1) (in folklore) a corpse supposed to leave its grave at night to drink the blood of the living. 2) (also vampire bat) a small bat that feeds on blood by piercing the skin with its incisor teeth, found mainly in tropical America.… … English terms dictionary
vampirism — noun Date: circa 1796 1. belief in vampires 2. the actions of a vampire … New Collegiate Dictionary
vampirism — /vam puyeur iz euhm, peuh riz /, n. 1. belief in the existence of vampires. 2. the acts or practices of vampires. 3. unscrupulous exploitation, ruin, or degradation of others. [1785 95; VAMPIRE + ISM] * * * … Universalium
vampirism — noun the state of being a vampire, or the practices associated with vampires, in particular blood drinking and the draining of a victims life force … Wiktionary
vampirism — vam·pir·ism .pī(ə)r .iz əm n a sexual perversion in which gratification is obtained by the drawing of blood … Medical dictionary
vampirism — vam·pir·ism || væmpaɪərɪzm n. belief in vampires; supposed practices of vampires; gross exploitation … English contemporary dictionary
vampirism — vam·pir·ism … English syllables
vampirism — vam•pir•ism [[t]ˈvæm paɪərˌɪz əm, pəˌrɪz [/t]] n. 1) belief in the existence of vampires 2) the acts or practices of vampires 3) unscrupulous exploitation or ruin of others • Etymology: 1785–95 … From formal English to slang