Frigate bird

Frigate bird
Frigate Frig"ate, n. [F. fr['e]gate, It. fregata, prob. contracted fr. L. fabricata something constructed or built. See {Fabricate}.] 1. Originally, a vessel of the Mediterranean propelled by sails and by oars. The French, about 1650, transferred the name to larger vessels, and by 1750 it had been appropriated for a class of war vessels intermediate between corvettes and ships of the line. Frigates, from about 1750 to 1850, had one full battery deck and, often, a spar deck with a lighter battery. They carried sometimes as many as fifty guns. After the application of steam to navigation steam frigates of largely increased size and power were built, and formed the main part of the navies of the world till about 1870, when the introduction of ironclads superseded them. [Formerly spelled {frigat} and {friggot}.] [1913 Webster]

2. Any small vessel on the water. [Obs.] --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

{Frigate bird} (Zo["o]l.), a web-footed rapacious bird, of the genus {Fregata}; -- called also {man-of-war bird}, and {frigate pelican}. Two species are known; that of the Southern United States and West Indies is {F. aquila}. They are remarkable for their long wings and powerful flight. Their food consists of fish which they obtain by robbing gulls, terns, and other birds, of their prey. They are related to the pelicans.

{Frigate mackerel} (Zo["o]l.), an oceanic fish ({Auxis Rochei}) of little or no value as food, often very abundant off the coast of the United States.

{Frigate pelican}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Frigate bird}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • frigate bird — n. any of a family (Fregatidae) of large, tropical pelecaniform birds with extremely long wings and tail and a hooked beak: it commonly robs other birds of their prey …   English World dictionary

  • frigate bird — any predacious seabirds of the genus Fregata, having fully webbed feet. Also, frigatebird. Also called man o war bird. [1730 40] * * * or man o war bird Any member of five species of large seabirds constituting the family Fregatidae, found… …   Universalium

  • frigate bird — noun long billed warm water seabird with wide wingspan and forked tail • Syn: ↑man of war bird • Hypernyms: ↑pelecaniform seabird • Member Holonyms: ↑Fregata, ↑genus Fregata * * * ˈfrigate bird 7 [ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Frigate Bird — Kernwaffentest Frigate Bird Explosionswolke aufgenommen durch das Periskop des U Boots USS Carbonero (SS 337) aus 25 Meilen (40 km) Entfernung Informationen Nation Vereinigte Staaten …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • frigate bird — frig′ate bird or frig′ate•bird n. orn any of several long winged, fork tailed seabirds of the family Fregatidae, of tropical oceans, noted for snatching prey from other birds in flight • Etymology: 1730–40 …   From formal English to slang

  • frigate bird — noun Date: 1738 any of a family (Fregatidae, containing a single genus Fregata) of tropical seabirds having a forked tail and large wingspans that are noted for aggressively taking food from other birds …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • frigate bird — noun a predatory tropical seabird with dark plumage, long narrow wings, a deeply forked tail, and a long hooked bill. [Genus Fregata: five species.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • frigate bird —    Iwa (see sayings, iwa1) …   English-Hawaiian dictionary

  • USS Frigate Bird (AMS-191) — was a Bluebird class motor minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for clearing coastal minefields. The second ship in the Navy to be named Frigate Bird , AMS 191 was launched 24 October 1953 by Quincy Adams Yacht Yard, Inc., Quincy, Massachusetts; …   Wikipedia

  • USS Frigate Bird (AMc-27) — was a Frigate Bird class coastal minesweeper acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. World War II service The first ship to be named Frigate Bird by the… …   Wikipedia

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