moloch

From Hebrew מולך (molokh, “Ammonite god, worshipped by Canaanites and Phoenicians, who demanded child-sacrifice. Mentioned in Leviticus and Deuteronomy”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɒlɒk/

moloch (plural molochs)

1. Any of species Moloch horridus of Australian lizards, sole species of the genus Moloch.

• (Moloch horridus): thorny dragon, thorny devil, mountain devil, thorny lizard

• moloch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Moloch on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Category:Moloch horridus on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

From Hebrew מולך (mólech, “idol mentioned in the Bible demanding child sacrifice”); the figurative use here is derived from this usage (see Moloch, the name of the god proper). The sense 'lizard' derives from its scientific name Moloch horridus, which in turn is derived from the Hebrew.

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moloch m (plural molochs, diminutive molochje n)

1. (figurative) anything large, untransparent and cumbersome, particularly a bureaucratic body
2. moloch (lizard)

   Synonyms: bergduivel, woestijnduivel

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moloch m (plural molochs)

1. moloch

• “moloch”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.