frigate
pronunciation
How to pronounce frigate in British English:
UK [ˈfrɪgət]
How to pronounce frigate in American English:
US [ˈfrɪɡɪt]
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- Noun:
- a medium size square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries
- a United States warship larger than a destroyer and smaller than a cruiser
Word Origin
- frigate (n.)
- 1580s, from Middle French frégate (1520s), from Italian fregata (Neapolitan fregate), which with many names for types of sea vessels is of unknown origin. It is common to the Mediterranean languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan fragata). Originally a small, swift vessel; the word was applied to progressively larger types over the years. [A] light nimble vessel built for speed; employed in particular for the gleaning of intelligence and the protection and assault of trade-routes. In battle the frigates took station on the disengaged side of the fleet, where they repeated signals, sped on messages, and succoured the distressed. [Sir Geoffrey Callender, "Sea Passages," 1943] In the old sailing navy usually they carried guns on a raised quarter-deck and forecastle, hence frigate-built (1650s) of a vessel having the quarter-deck and forecastle raised above the main-deck.
Example
- 1. A frigate is a type of warship often used to protect other vessels .
- 2. Argentina evacuated 281 crew members from a naval frigate that is being detained in ghana .
- 3. The ministry said another chinese frigate , from the jiangkai-i class , targeted the japanese helicopter .
- 4. This follows reports of a chinese vessel confronting an indian navy frigate off vietnam in late july .
- 5. But a chinese guided-missile frigate and military transport aircraft helped evacuate chinese nationals from libya last year .