A fictional sidekick character in American author Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, the multiracial tattooed Polynesian cannibal prince and skilled harpooner who became a whaler on European vessels out of wanderlust. Queequeg practices an alien fictional religion and constantly engages in feats of bravado intimidating to the white and ethnically-European protagonist but befriends him and shows no resentment at treatment by white societies. Melville's text describes him as “George Washington cannibalistically developed”.
Used in a Sentence
queequeg
Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for queequeg.
Editorial note
Queequeg: A harpooneer from the South Pacific, Queequeg is Ishmael's first and best friend on the Pequod.
Examples11
Definitions2
Parts of speech1
Quick take
A fictional sidekick character in American author Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, the multiracial tattooed Polynesian cannibal prince and skilled harpooner who became a whaler on European vessels out of wanderlust. Queequeg practices an alien fictional religion and constantly engages in feats of bravado intimidating to the white and ethnically-European protagonist but befriends him and shows no resentment at treatment by white societies. Melville's text describes him as “George Washington cannibalistically developed”.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of queequeg gathered in one view.
A person, fictional character, or other foil who literally or symbolically fulfills one or more of the roles Queequeg played in Moby-Dick such as the noble savage, Entwicklungsroman guru or exemplar, or racially-inflected spear carrier role.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for queequeg.
noun
A fictional sidekick character in American author Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, the multiracial tattooed Polynesian cannibal prince and skilled harpooner who became a whaler on European vessels out of wanderlust. Queequeg practices an alien fictional religion and constantly engages in feats of bravado intimidating to the white and ethnically-European protagonist but befriends him and shows no resentment at treatment by white societies. Melville's text describes him as “George Washington cannibalistically developed”.
noun
A person, fictional character, or other foil who literally or symbolically fulfills one or more of the roles Queequeg played in Moby-Dick such as the noble savage, Entwicklungsroman guru or exemplar, or racially-inflected spear carrier role.
Example sentences
Queequeg: A harpooneer from the South Pacific, Queequeg is Ishmael's first and best friend on the Pequod.
Bard ignores that Queequeg is a cannibal and that Ishmael gets on the boat because he is depressed.
I especially enjoyed the speech that gets the Quakers to allow the pagan Queequeg to join the voyage.
Another instance of this is in Moby Dick, which starts with the (great) scene of Ishmael sharing a bed with Queequeg before they ship out together.
I have hinted that I would often jerk poor Queequeg from between the whale and the ship—where he would occasionally fall, from the incessant rolling and swaying of both.
It's like, when Ishmael bunks with Queequeg and they are spooning, well why shouldn't a couple guys cuddle, sure, that emphasizes platonic intimacy between men in a way you didn't often see in the literature of the time.
Quote examples
For anyone who has read Moby Dick, remember Queequeg's "mark" is not a symbol in any alphabet or grapheme system.
Moby Dick has a ton of homoerotic scenes like the man donning the whale's penis skin as a robe, or the various bed-sharing scenes with Ishmael and Queequeg including gems like "Queequeg now and then affectionately throwing his brown tattooed legs over mine, and then drawing them back; so entirely sociable and free and easy we were," and "Queequeg's arm thrown over me in the most loving and affectionate manner."
Proper noun examples
Queequeg is a noble, tattooed cannibal who impresses the crew with his prowess as a harpooner and his quiet dignity.
Queequeg: A skilled harpooner from the South Pacific island of Rokovoko and Ishmael's close friend.
The crew includes Queequeg, a harpooner from a distant island, and Starbuck, the first mate.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use queequeg in a sentence?
Queequeg: A harpooneer from the South Pacific, Queequeg is Ishmael's first and best friend on the Pequod.
What does queequeg mean?
A fictional sidekick character in American author Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick, the multiracial tattooed Polynesian cannibal prince and skilled harpooner who became a whaler on European vessels out of wanderlust. Queequeg practices an alien fictional religion and constantly engages in feats of bravado intimidating to the white and ethnically-European protagonist but befriends him and shows no resentment at treatment by white societies. Melville's text describes him as “George Washington cannibalistically developed”.
What part of speech is queequeg?
queequeg is commonly used as noun.