All 6 Uses of
nominal
in
Moby Dick
- By old English statutory law, the whale is declared "a royal fish."
Oh, that's only nominal! The whale himself has never figured in any grand imposing way.
Chpt 22-24nominal = in name, but not in reality
- …therefore the grand political maxim of the sea demands, that he should nominally live apart from the men before the mast, and be in some way distinguished as their professional superior; though always, by them, familiarly regarded as their social equal.
Chpt 31-33nominally = officially (though not entirely in reality)
- But, though these barbarians dined in the cabin, and nominally lived there; still, being anything but sedentary in their habits, they were scarcely ever in it except at mealtimes, and just before sleeping-time, when they passed through it to their own peculiar quarters.
Chpt 34-36
- Though nominally included in the census of Christendom, he was still an alien to it.
Chpt 34-36 *nominally = officially
- For all these reasons then, and others perhaps too analytic to be verbally developed here, Ahab plainly saw that he must still in a good degree continue true to the natural, nominal purpose of the Pequod's voyage; observe all customary usages; and not only that, but force himself to evince all his well known passionate interest in the general pursuit of his profession.
Chpt 46-48nominal = stated
- There are two royal fish so styled by the English law writers—the whale and the sturgeon; both royal property under certain limitations, and nominally supplying the tenth branch of the crown's ordinary revenue.
Chpt 88-90nominally = officially (though not in reality)
Definition:
-
(nominal as in: he's nominally in charge) in form or name, but not in reality