noun

vamp

noun

The front part of a shoe or boot covering the toes and instep.

"The vamp of the boot was starting to crack with age."

A seductive woman who uses her charm to manipulate men.

"She played the classic film-noir vamp, all cigarette smoke and one-liners."

verb

To improvise or throw something together, often to fill time (often "vamp up").

"The band vamped for a few extra bars while the singer found her mic."

How to Use Vamp

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDepending on context: the front of a shoe, an improvised bit of music, or an old-fashioned term for a seductress.

Word Forms

vamped past tense, vamped past tense, vamps plural, vamps plural, vamps plural, vamps singular, vamps singular

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The _____ of the boot was starting to crack with age.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman vampe, referring to the part of a stocking covering the top of the foot; the "seductive woman" sense developed later, likely shortened from "vampire".

Synonyms

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enchantress femme fatale man-eater mantrap seductress she-wolf siren temptress vixen wolfess

Antonyms

girl next door ingenue Casanova promiscuous man rake

Related Words

rake shrew vixen prude chime siren libertine temptress

Rhymes for vamp

amp damp camp lamp ramp kamp tramp stamp champ swamp cramp clamp

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