noun
vampire
A bat that feeds on blood.
The vampire uses its sharp teeth to draw blood from cattle.
Etymology
The bat was named after the folkloric vampire because it feeds on blood. The animal-name applies a supernatural creature's defining habit to a real species.
More examples
- Vampires leave their roost after dark to search for food.
- A vampire laps up blood rather than sucking it.
- The cave shelters a small colony of vampires.
Forms
vampire · vampires
Similar words
- vampire bat
- Explicitly names the blood-feeding animal rather than the mythical creature.
- bat
- Broader term including species that eat insects or fruit.