Plural form of frigate; multiple fast, medium-sized sailing warships.
Standard English plural of frigate, formed by adding -s to the singular noun that entered English from French in the 1600s.
During the age of exploration and naval dominance, frigates were so effective that major powers like Britain, France, and Spain built entire fleets of them to protect trade routes and project power across oceans.
Ships have been gendered feminine in maritime tradition ('she/her' convention), reflecting historical exclusion of women from naval service and maritime authority. This linguistic habit perpetuates the association of femininity with property/objects rather than agency.
Use 'it' or the ship's name in formal contexts. If using 'she/her' traditionally, acknowledge it as a convention rather than natural assignment.
["vessel","ship (with 'it')","named reference"]
Women were legally barred from most naval roles until the 20th century; ship-naming conventions erased their presence from maritime history and authority.
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