vampire — meaning in English

English meaning

• incubus noun In medieval European folklore, a male demon believed to settle on people as they sleep and cause nightmares.
• vampire noun A legendary undead creature said to survive by drinking the blood of the living.

Senses

vampire is used for these senses in English:

• incubus (by extension) Any oppressive thing or person; a burden.
• vampire A mythological creature (usually humanoid and undead) said to feed on the blood or life energy of the living. [from 1732]
• vampire A blood-sucking bat; vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) [from later 18th c.]

incubus — full definition

1. noun In medieval European folklore, a male demon believed to settle on people as they sleep and cause nightmares.
2. noun A thing that oppresses or weighs heavily on someone, like a burden that cannot be shaken off.

vampire — full definition

1. noun A legendary undead creature said to survive by drinking the blood of the living.
2. noun A person who drains someone else's time, energy, or resources.

Related French words