vampire bat

vampire bat

noun

Definition of VAMPIRE BAT

: any of several Central and South American bats (Desmodus rotundus, Diaemus youngi, and Diphylla ecaudata of the subfamily Desmodontinae of the family Phyllostomidae) 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

Illustration of VAMPIRE BAT

First Known Use of VAMPIRE BAT

1790

Rhymes with VAMPIRE BAT

acrobat, aerobat, aerostat, alley cat, apparat, Ararat, arrive at, assignat, autocrat, Automat, bell the cat, big brown bat, bureaucrat, butterfat, caveat, cervelat, chew the fat, civet cat, concordat, coolie hat, copycat, cowboy hat, democrat, diplomat, Dixiecrat, Eurocrat, fungo bat, habitat, hang one's hat, jungle cat, Kattegat, kleptocrat, Laundromat, leopard cat, marrowfat, mobocrat, monocrat, Montserrat, Norway rat, ochlocrat, off the bat, opera hat, pas de quatre, Persian cat, photostat, pit-a-pat, plutocrat, poke fun at, pussycat, railroad flat, rat-a-tat, rheostat, scaredy-cat, semimatte, shovel hat, smell a rat, spoonbill cat, take aim at, technocrat, theocrat, thermostat, tiger cat, Uniate, water rat, welcome mat, where it's at, ziggurat

vampire bat

noun    (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of VAMPIRE BAT

: 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

Illustration of VAMPIRE BAT

vampire bat

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any of three species (family Desmodontidae) of tailless, brown, blood-eating bats native to the New World tropics. They grow to 2–3.5 in. (6–9 cm) long and weigh 0.5–2 oz (15–50 g). They run swiftly and leap with agility. They live in colonies in caves, hollow trees, and culverts, leaving after dark to forage low on the ground. They feed on quietly resting birds and mammals, including the occasional human, making a small cut with their sharp incisor teeth, often without disturbing the prey, and lapping the blood. The wounds are not serious but may transmit rabies or other diseases.