frigate

noun

frig·​ate ˈfri-gət 

1

: a light boat propelled originally by oars but later by sails

2

: a square-rigged war vessel intermediate between a corvette and a ship of the line

3

: a modern warship that is smaller than a destroyer

Did you know?

In the 17th–19th centuries, a frigate was a three-masted, fully rigged sailing ship, often carrying 30–40 guns in all. Smaller and faster than ships of the line (the principal vessels of naval warfare), frigates served as scouts or as escorts protecting merchant convoys; they also cruised the seas as merchant raiders themselves. In World War II, Britain revived the term frigate using it to describe escort ships equipped with sonar and depth charges, and used these ships to guard convoys from submarines. In the postwar decades, the frigate also adopted an antiaircraft role, adding radar and surface-to-air missiles. Modern frigates can sail at a speed of 30 knots and carry a crew of 200.

Examples of frigate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In September, a Russian frigate off the coast of Denmark fired two flares at a Danish military helicopter, one of which came dangerously close to hitting the aircraft. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026

Malta, Cyprus, and Ireland have their own naval forces, but not the sort of frigates or destroyers needed for high-threat escort operations. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Oct. 2026

The equipment was intended to record how the weapons affected the frigate. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026

In a separate incident Tuesday, Denmark said a Russian frigate fired flares toward a Danish military helicopter conducting routine surveillance over the Baltic Sea. — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from Old Italian fregata

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing frigate

• frigate bird

Rhymes for frigate

• bigot
• spigot

Kids Definition

frigate

noun

frig·​ate ˈfrig-ət 

1

: a medium-sized square-rigged warship

2

: a modern warship that is smaller than a destroyer and that is used for escort and patrol duties