(n) a tyrannical power to be propitiated by human subservience or sacrifice; ; - Norman Douglas, Example:the great Moloch of war; duty has become the Moloch of modern life
prop. n. [ Heb. molek king. ] 1. (Script.) The fire god of the Ammonites in Canaan, to whom human sacrifices were offered; Molech. Also applied figuratively. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. (Zool.) A spiny Australian lizard (Moloch horridus). The horns on the head and numerous spines on the body give it a most formidable appearance. [ 1913 Webster ]