Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The chief god of the Phenicians, frequently mentioned in Scripture as the god of the Ammonites, whose worship consisted chiefly of human sacrifices, ordeals by fire, mutilation, etc.: also identified with the god of the Carthaginians called by classical writers Kronos or Saturn.
- noun [NL.] The typical genus of Molochinæ.
- noun [lowercase] A lizard of this genus: as, the spiny moloch.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- proper noun (Script.) The fire god of the Ammonites in Canaan, to whom human sacrifices were offered; Molech. Also applied figuratively.
- proper noun (Zoöl.) A spiny Australian lizard (
Moloch horridus ). The horns on the head and numerous spines on the body give it a most formidable appearance.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun zoology Moloch horridus, an
Australian lizard thought to be the sole member of the genusMoloch .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun any lizard of the genus Moloch
- noun a tyrannical power to be propitiated by human subservience or sacrifice
- noun god of the Canaanites and Phoenicians to whom parents sacrificed their children
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word moloch.
Examples
-
The tiny titi monkey (Callicebus moloch) also occurs here, and the gray-necked night monkey (Aotus infulatus) and spider monkey (Ateles marginatus) are endemic to this and the interfluve to the east.
-
The squirrel monkey with naked ears (Saimiri ustus) and dusty titi (Callicebus moloch) are endemic to the south-central Amazon.
-
Using such words as “catenae” (connected series), “timeous” (early), “moloch” (an object of sacrifice), and “corban” (an offering to God), Madame railed at the ethics of the press, which she continued to accuse of underplaying the dangers of communism.
The Last Empress Hannah Pakula 2009
-
Of the primates, the endemic species Javan gibbon Hylobates moloch (CR) and Javan leaf monkey Presbytis comata (EN) occur locally along with the endemic silvered leaf monkey P. cristata, while crab-eating macaque Macaca fascicularis (LR) is found throughout the park.
Ujung Kulon National Park and Krakatau Nature Reserve, Indonesia 2009
-
January 28, 2008 at 7:47 pm moloch be weepin? braek out teh ginsberg!
emo wall is sad - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
-
Eight primates are found here including the bearded saki (Chiropotes albinasus), red-handed tamarin (Saguinus midas), and tiny titi monkey (Callicebus moloch), which is found in few other places.
-
Of the latter, the Javan or surili leaf monkey (Presbytis comata) and the Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch) are the most endangered primates in Indonesia.
-
The Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch) is also critically endangered.
-
What a worse than moloch deity is that, which expects an offering of reason, duty, and discretion, to be made to its shrine!
Clarissa Harlowe 2006
-
Indeed, if it were only on this account, the national education of women is of the utmost consequence, for what a number of human sacrifices are made to that moloch prejudice!
avivamagnolia commented on the word moloch
1. The fire god of the Ammonites in Canaan, to whom human sacrifices were offered; Molech. Also applied figuratively.
2. A spiny Australian lizard (Moloch horridus). The horns on the head and numerous spines on the body give it a most formidable appearance.
Origin: Hebrew "melech," meaning "king"
In the Friday night Shabbat (sabbath) prayer, reference is made to "melech ha'olam," or "king of the world."
January 18, 2009
avivamagnolia commented on the word moloch
All blessings in Hebrew are directed toward adonai elohenu melech ha'olam, which means "Lord, our God, King of the Universe." The Jewish Progressive Circloids changed this to chayim ba'olam, meaning "living beings of the universe." I agree that the "King of the Universe" phrase is a trifle archaic. On the other hand, pronouncing reverence only for "living beings" reflects a view of the universe that Einstein, for one, would have found excessively narrow and perhaps a little dopey. Is there more holiness to be found in gnats than in galaxies?
One Guy's 'Take' on "Adonai Elohenu Melech Ha’Olam" by the blogger of "Ralphmag", or The Review of Arts, Literature, Philosophy and the Humanities
January 18, 2009
qms commented on the word moloch
Old idols are good for gothic shock,
The fodder for scary bedtime talk.
But monsters still lurk
And do bloody work.
Flee the maw of the market moloch!
February 12, 2014
ruzuzu commented on the word moloch
I can think only of Ginsberg's Howl: "Moloch! Solitude! Filth! Ugliness!"
February 12, 2014
yarb commented on the word moloch
My favourite Moloch is in Flaubert's "Salammbo". The original, and still the best!
February 13, 2014
bilby commented on the word moloch
I'd rather rhyme shock with schlock than talk, but then I'm not a Merkin.
February 13, 2014