Definition
a character from a 19th century novel who is a vampire
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary
Origin and usage
The proper noun Dracula is the name of the Romanian vampire count who provides the title of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. It is derived from an Old Romanian word meaning ‘dragon’.
Examples
Sunday was the birthday of Bram Stoker, the Irish author best remembered for his creation of the vampire Dracula in the novel of that name, published in 1897. The entry for Dracula is part of a Macmillan Thesaurus category called Characters in Stories which includes entries that range from changeling to zombie, as well as for named characters such as Arthur, Dorian Gray and Popeye. This thesaurus entry is linked to two further entries, Imaginary and Mysterious Creatures in Stories and Imaginary Places and Specific Places in Stories. All three provide plenty of scope for browsing.
Quotations
“The last I saw of Count Dracula was his kissing his hand to me, with a red light of triumph in his eyes, and with a smile that Judas in hell might be proud of.”
(Bram Stoker, Dracula)
Related Words
bogey, ghoul, hobgoblin, zombie
Browse related words in the Macmillan Thesaurus.
