1. an ancient Canaanite god associated with child sacrifice
Usage: biblical; historical
2. something that demands or requires costly sacrifice
Usage: figurative
3. a spiny lizard native to Australia
Usage: zoology

Examples

• The ancient texts describe sacrifices made to Moloch.
• War became a moloch consuming the nation’s youth.
• The corporation was seen as a moloch demanding endless profits.
• The moloch lizard uses its spines for protection from predators.
• Environmentalists called the factory a moloch destroying the landscape.
• The moloch’s camouflage helps it blend with the desert sand.