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vamp — A seductive woman who uses her charm to exploit men

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: A seductive woman who uses her charm to exploit men

Pronunciation (IPA): /væmp/

Example Sentences

  • The movie star was famous for playing the classic vamp who broke hearts on screen.
  • My grandmother warned me not to vamp my way through life, but to be honest and sincere.
  • The cobbler replaced the worn vamp on my favorite boots.

vamp

NOUN

[/væmp/]

A seductive woman who uses her charm to exploit men

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/væmp/
🇬🇧 UK/væmp/

🌳Etymology

Rootvamp

Origin

The word 'vamp' has two distinct origins. In the late 19th century, it emerged as an abbreviation of 'vampire', acquiring the sense of an alluring woman who exploits men's vitality. The footwear meaning derives from Old French 'avantpie' (front of the foot), referring to the upper part of a shoe.

Breakdown

For the seductive woman sense: vampire → vamp (clipping). For the shoe part: Old French avantpie (avant 'before' + pie 'foot') → vamp (upper portion of a shoe covering the instep and toe).

🎵Rhyme

camp
clamp
damp
lamp
stamp

🔗Collocations

femme fatale vamp
vamp up
classic vamp
leather vamp
vamp a song
silver screen vamp

📝Examples

“The movie star was famous for playing the classic vamp who broke hearts on screen.”

“My grandmother warned me not to vamp my way through life, but to be honest and sincere.”

“The cobbler replaced the worn vamp on my favorite boots.”

😄 Fun example

“She decided to vamp up her presentation with colorful slides and funny jokes.”

📚Related Words

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