vampire bat

noun

1. any of several New World tropical bats of the genera Desmodus, Diphylla, and Diaemus, the size of a small mouse, feeding on small amounts of blood obtained from resting mammals and birds by means of a shallow cut made with specialized incisor teeth.
2. any of several large South American bats of the genera Phyllostomus and Vampyrus, erroneously believed to feed on blood.
3. false vampire.

vampire bat

noun

1. any bat, esp Desmodus rotundus, of the family Desmodontidae of tropical regions of Central and South America, having sharp incisor and canine teeth and feeding on the blood of birds and mammals Compare false vampire

Word History and Origins

Origin of vampire bat¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

An anticoagulant in vampire bat saliva keeps the blood flowing as the bat laps up a meal.

From Science Daily

Now, the conservation biologist is puzzling out how North America’s two biggest bats—the woolly false vampire bat and the spectral bat—manage to coexist on the Yucatán Peninsula and how they will cope with climate change and forest fragmentation due to the Maya Train.

From Science Magazine

An African savanna elephant, an Amazon river dolphin, a crab-eating macaque, a common vampire bat and a Weddell seal.Credit...

From New York Times

Gerry Carter, an assistant professor at Ohio State University, is trying to unravel the mysteries of vampire bat friendships.

From Salon

On 29th August 2019, Lilith, a vampire bat housed in the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, died, leaving behind a pup.

From Salon