frigate
[ frig-it ]
/ ˈfrɪg ɪt /
noun
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.
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.
Origin of frigate
1575–85; < Middle French
frégate < Italian
fregata, Sicilian
fragata (> Spanish, Catalan, Pg); of obscure origin
Words nearby frigate
friesian,
friesland,
frieze,
friezing,
frig,
frigate,
frigate bird,
frigate mackerel,
frigg,
frigging,
fright
Example sentences from the Web for frigate
British Dictionary definitions for frigate
frigate
/ (ˈfrɪɡɪt) /
noun
a medium-sized square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries
- British a warship larger than a corvette and smaller than a destroyer
- US (formerly) a warship larger than a destroyer and smaller than a cruiser
- US a small escort vessel
Word Origin for frigate
C16: from French
frégate, from Italian
fregata, of unknown origin