Definition

1. Noun:
   • A modern warship: A fast, medium-sized warship, typically smaller than a destroyer but larger than a corvette, used for escort and patrol duties.
   • A historical sailing warship: A fast, medium-sized, square-rigged warship used from the 18th to mid-19th century, often with a single gun deck.

Examples

• Modern warship:
  • The navy deployed a frigate to patrol the coastal waters.
  • Modern frigates are equipped with advanced missile systems for air defense.
• Historical sailing warship:
  • The famous frigate USS Constitution is now a museum ship.
  • In the age of sail, frigates were the eyes of the fleet, used for reconnaissance.

Advanced Usage

• "Frigate captain": The commanding officer of a frigate.
  • The frigate captain received orders to intercept the suspicious vessel.
• "Guided-missile frigate": A modern frigate whose primary armament is guided missiles.
  • The guided-missile frigate provided a protective screen for the aircraft carrier.

Variants and Related Words

• Frigate bird (n): A large, predatory seabird with long wings and a forked tail, also known as a man-o'-war bird. (Note: This is a compound noun, not a variant of the warship meaning).
  • We saw a magnificent frigate bird soaring over the ocean.

Synonyms

• Modern: Escort vessel, patrol ship.
• Historical: Man-of-war (in a general sense), sailing warship.

Related Phrases

• "Frigate-built": (Historical) Constructed in the style or to the specifications of a frigate.
  • The captured vessel was frigate-built and remarkably fast.

Noun

1. a United States warship larger than a destroyer and smaller than a cruiser
2. a medium size square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries