ˈmälək, ˈmōˌläk noun
Etymology: Late Latin, an ancient Semitic deity, from Greek, from Hebrew Mōlekh
1. -s usually capitalized : a tyrannical power to be propitiated by human subservience or sacrifice
duty has become the Moloch of modern life — Norman Douglas
began … to suspend members of his staff as a human sacrifice to propitiate the Moloch of fear and hysteria — New Republic
2.
[New Latin, from Late Latin]
a. capitalized : a genus of small spiny Australian desert lizards
b. -s : any lizard of the genus Moloch