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. Moloch horridus, an Australian lizard thought to be the sole member of the genus Moloch.

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

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.