vamp

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
vamp1

▶noun

• 1 the upper front part of a boot or shoe.

• 2 (in jazz and popular music) a short, simple introductory passage, usually repeated several times until otherwise instructed.

▶verb

• 1 (vamp something up) informal repair or improve something.

• 2 repeat a short, simple passage of music.

• 3 attach a new upper to (a boot or shoe).

– origin ME (denoting the foot of a stocking, later something patched or improvised): shortening of OFr. avantpie, from avant ‘before’ + pie ‘foot’.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
vamp2 informal

▶noun a woman who uses sexual attraction to exploit men. ▶verb blatantly set out to attract (a man).

– derivatives
vampish adjective,
vampishly adverb,
vampishness noun,
vampy adjective .

– origin early 20th cent.: abbrev. of vampire.