n. [ Gr. desmo`s bond + 'odoy`s, 'odo`ntos, tooth. ] (Zool.) A member of a group of South American blood-sucking bats, of the genera Desmodus and Diphylla. See Vampire. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a natural family comprisng the true vampire bats.
Syn. -- family Desmodontidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]