the.com/frigate
a warship fast enough to chase, mean enough to bite, modest enough to stay overlooked.
means A swift, medium-sized warship — historically smaller than a ship of the line but built for speed and patrol — used to escort, scout, and harass.
from From Italian 'fregata,' a light, fast vessel of the Mediterranean, which passed into French as 'frégate' and then English in the late 16th century. The deeper root of the Italian word is uncertain; etymologists shrug and leave it as a sailor's borrowing whose ultimate origin slipped overboard somewhere in the Renaissance Mediterranean.
- name origin
- Likely from Italian fregata, meaning a light, swift vessel
- seabird thief
- Frigatebirds steal food midair from other birds
- old age
- USS Constitution, launched 1797, is a frigate still afloat
- jack of all
- Built for escort, patrol, and raiding, master of versatility
- sail era star
- Frigates carried the fleet's news long before radio
uss constitution — american naval frigate launched 1797, still afloat in boston harbor
hms surprise — british naval frigate from 1740s, preserved ship in san diego
hmas parramatta — australian adelaide-class frigate commissioned 1989, active in indo-pacific