vampire bat
noun
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.
any of several large South American bats of the genera Phyllostomus and Vampyrus, erroneously believed to feed on blood.
Origin of vampire bat
First recorded in 1780–90
Words nearby vampire bat
British Dictionary definitions for vampire bat
vampire bat
noun
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