frigate

American  

[frig-it] / ˈfrɪg ɪt /

noun

1. a fast naval vessel of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, generally having a lofty ship rig and heavily armed on one or two decks.

2. any of various types of modern naval vessels ranging in size from a destroyer escort to a cruiser, frequently armed with guided missiles and used for aircraft carrier escort duty, shore bombardment, and miscellaneous combat functions.

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frigate British  

/ ˈfrɪɡɪt /

noun

1. a medium-sized square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries

2. 1. a warship larger than a corvette and smaller than a destroyer

   2. (formerly) a warship larger than a destroyer and smaller than a cruiser

   3. a small escort vessel

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Etymology

Origin of frigate

1575–85; < Middle French frégate < Italian fregata, Sicilian fragata (> Spanish, Catalan, Pg); of obscure origin

Compare meaning

How does frigate compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• frigate vs. destroyer
• frigate vs. corvette

Example Sentences

And the Royal Navy can muster only a handful of frigates, destroyers and nuclear submarines.

From The Wall Street Journal

The US military now has 13 warships stationed in the Middle East: the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived late last month, nine destroyers and three frigates.

From Barron's

It has increased sea patrols by frigates, tightened rules for foreigners and talked of launching exploration of the surrounding sea bed, which holds deposits of precious rare earths in demand by modern industry.

From The Wall Street Journal

They have teamed up to build tanks, frigates and missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sometimes for a whole day they talked in sea lion grunts or frigate bird squawks or plankton wiggles.

From Literature

Related Words

• sailboat
• ship
• vessel
• warship