Moloch
Meanings
name
- An ancient Ammonite deity worshiped by the Canaanites, Phoenician and related cultures in North Africa and the Levant, often depicted with the head of a bull.
- A person or thing demanding or requiring a very costly sacrifice.
noun
- Any of species Moloch horridus of Australian lizards, sole species of the genus Moloch.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From the Proto-Semitic *malk- (“king”). The figurative sense derives from the Old Testament, in which it is alleged that the cult of Moloch involved the sacrifice of human children.
Synonyms
Derived words
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