The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Nominate \Nom"i*nate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nominated; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Nominating.] [L. nominatus, p. p. of nominare to
   nominate, fr. nomen name. See Name.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To mention by name; to name. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            To nominate them all, it is impossible. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To call; to entitle; to denominate. [Obs.] --Spenser.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To set down in express terms; to state. [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Is it so nominated in the bond?       --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To name, or designate by name, for an office or place; to
      appoint; esp., to name as a candidate for an election,
      choice, or appointment; to propose by name, or offer the
      name of, as a candidate for an office or place.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

nominate
    v 1: propose as a candidate for some honor [syn: nominate,
         put up, put forward]
    2: put forward; nominate for appointment to an office or for an
       honor or position; "The President nominated her as head of
       the Civil Rights Commission" [syn: nominate, propose]
    3: charge with a function; charge to be; "She was named Head of
       the Committee"; "She was made president of the club" [syn:
       name, nominate, make]
    4: create and charge with a task or function; "nominate a
       committee" [syn: appoint, name, nominate, constitute]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

51 Moby Thesaurus words for "nominate":
   appoint, assign, back, back up, baptize, call, choose, christen,
   define, denominate, designate, dub, elect, endorse, entitle,
   finger, forward, identify, intend, label, make, mean, name,
   name for office, nickname, offer, ordain, ordinate, present,
   proffer, propose, purpose, put forth, put forward, put up,
   recommend, run, run for office, select, specify, style, submit,
   suggest, support, tab, tag, tap, tender, term, title, vote



The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

NOMINATE, v.  To designate for the heaviest political assessment.  To
put forward a suitable person to incur the mudgobbling and deadcatting
of the opposition.