A
femme fatale character in movies or books. The character is a woman who, while not necessarily attractive, has a certain
allure (usually this striking, exotic, overtly sexy glamour), and is usually a heartless, man-eating
seductress.
The term is short for vampire, another term for a femme fatale.
In drama, the vamp is the sexual counterpoint for the naive, wholesome
ingenue character.
The
sultry lower voice of the
mezzo-soprano is usually reserved for the vamp character in musicals or opera.