Vampire, in popular legend, a creature, often fanged, that preys upon humans, generally by consuming their blood. Vampires have been featured in folklore and fiction of various cultures for hundreds of years, predominantly in Europe, although belief in them has waned in modern times. There are almost as many different characteristics of vampires as there are vampire legends.

Understanding the Context

But the main characteristic of vampires (or vampyres) is they drink human blood. They typically...