name
Moloch
MOH-lok
name
1
An ancient deity associated with child sacrifice in Canaanite and related religions.
"The Old Testament condemns the worship of Moloch."
2
A person or system demanding a terrible or costly sacrifice.
"The poet called war a moloch that devoured a generation of young men."
How to Use Moloch
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOriginally an ancient god linked with child sacrifice; now used figuratively for anything that demands a horrifying sacrifice.
Word Forms
molochs plural
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Etymology
From a Proto-Semitic root meaning "king"; the figurative sense comes from Biblical references to human sacrifice associated with the deity.