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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.

frigate British  
/ ˈfrɪɡɪt /

noun

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

    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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of frigate

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Two Greek frigates and a French naval ship arrived off Cyprus within days of the attack, and Spain also deployed a frigate, as part of a broader response to help their European ally.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

The frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts was on a routine convoy escort mission in the Persian Gulf when it struck the mine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

India has invited the frigate to take part in its biennial military exercises along with participants from dozens of navies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Sri Lanka will treat Iranian sailors rescued from a torpedoed frigate according to international law, a minister said Saturday, following reports that Washington was pressuring Colombo to not repatriate them.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

This victory hath heartened those upon this frigate greatly.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.