Morlock

M3O1R1L1O1C3K5

noun

A member of a troglodyte cannibalistic race described in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine (1895).

UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounMorlock (plural Morlocks)

plural Morlocks

  1. literatureA member of a troglodyte cannibalistic race described in H. G. Wells' novel The Time Machine (1895).
  2. broadlyA brutish troglodyte.

    Thus civilian morale became a key issue in war preparations, which were undertaken in a spirit so fretfully suspicious that centralised mass shelters were not constructed for fear of encouraging a deep shelter mentality that would turn London's population into a race of modern Morlocks.

    2004, Laura Marcus, Peter Nicholls, The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century English Literature, page 437
    1 more example

    We need a modern White version of that. They go into niggerhoods that border Human areas and patrol. Protect the Human encampments from the invading Morlocks. Do it legally, and call the police to actually grab the criminal n*gs, but be out there in force watching & filming these things.

    Quoted in: 2020, Martina Althoff, Bernd Dollinger, Holger Schmidt, Conflicting Narratives of Crime and Punishment (page 155)

Origin

Coined by British science fiction author H. G. Wells in 1895; possibly influenced by Morlach or Moloch.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Morlock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Morlock

MLA

“Morlock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Morlock. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Morlock,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Morlock.

Source: Morlock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.