Vampy

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having a style or appearance that is dark, mysterious, and suggestive in a seductive way
2. Characterized by an alluringly shadowy or gothic fashion or demeanor
3. Displaying an enigmatic and sensuous quality often linked with a mysterious charm

Etymology: The adjective "vampy" is a simple formation: the noun "vamp" plus the adjectival suffix "-y", which turns a noun into a description of something having its qualities. The more interesting story lies in the noun it grew from. "Vamp" is a clipping of "vampire", so the adjective carries the vampire's old association with seductive, drain-you-dry allure, and that is the thread that gives it its sultry, mysterious flavour. The "-y" ending has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from an old Germanic suffix that English has used for well over a thousand years, so "vampy" is built from a very ordinary piece of English grammar attached to a clipped word borrowed from the vampire myth.