frigate

[ frig-it ]

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.

frigate

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of frigate¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of frigate¹

C16: from French frégate , from Italian fregata , of unknown origin

Example Sentences

The frigate was hit by torpedoes and sank in the South Atlantic.

From BBC

The government also said talks were at final stages with BAE Systems about Ferguson Marine being awarded further work on the Type 26 Frigate programme.

From BBC

Hours later, the European Union naval force in the region known as Operation Atalanta said a frigate operating in the region detained six suspected pirates.

From Seattle Times

The frigate seized the pirates given “the unsafe condition of their skiff” and said that some had “injuries of varied severity.”

From Seattle Times

The missile test on Thursday was conducted aboard a frigate, the Niels Juel, in the port of Korsør, which sits beside the Great Belt.

From New York Times

Related Words

• sailboat
• ship
• vessel
• warship