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vampire bat
noun
: any of several bats (Desmodus rotundus, Diaemus youngi, and Diphylla ecaudata of the subfamily Desmodontinae of the family Phyllostomidae) of Mexico and Central and South America that feed on the blood of birds and mammals and especially domestic animals and that are sometimes vectors of disease and especially of rabies
also
: any of several other bats (as of the families Megadermatidae and Phyllostomidae) that do not feed on blood but are sometimes reputed to do so
Examples of vampire bat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His antic, allusive works latched onto genres like vampire bats, but parody was merely his vehicle for howling into the void.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024
This includes the clouded leopard, black-footed cat, fennec fox, vampire bats and aardvarks.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 15 Mar. 2024
For example, as regions warm, the relative distribution and abundance of certain reservoirs, such as tropical species like vampire bats, may increase.
—Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024
The common vampire bat shares its food with roostmates whose hunt ended in failure.
—Tim Brinkhof, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2021
The case marked the first rabies death in the United States due to a vampire bat.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2023
Baby Pink Vampire Bat Costume $30 at Amazon Never before have vampire bats seemed so ... stylish?
—Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 22 Aug. 2023
Fittingly, vampire bats release an anticoagulant cocktail called Draculin in their saliva instead. 5.
—Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2023
To see how the bats can survive on the nutrient-poor liquid diet, Michael Hiller, a genomics expert at the LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, and his team sequenced the genomes of 26 other bat species and compared them to the vampire bat genome.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vampire bat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1790, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Vampire bat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vampire%20bat. Accessed 12 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
vampire bat
noun
: any of three bats of Mexico and Central and South America that feed on blood especially of domestic animals and sometimes carry and pass on diseases (as rabies)
also
: any of several other bats that do not feed on blood but are sometimes said to do so
Medical Definition
vampire bat
noun
: any of several Central and South American bats (Desmodus rotundus, Diaemus youngi, and Diphylla ecaudata) that feed on the blood of birds and mammals and especially domestic animals and that are sometimes vectors of disease and especially of rabies
also
: any of several other bats that do not feed on blood but are sometimes reputed to do so
More from Merriam-Webster on vampire bat
Nglish: Translation of vampire bat for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vampire bat
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