frig·ate·bird also frigate bird (fr?g??t-bûrd?)n. Any of various tropical seabirds of the genus Fregata that have long powerful wings, dark plumage, and a hooked beak and characteristically snatch food from other birds in flight. Also called man-o’-war bird.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.frigate bird n (Animals) any bird of the genus Fregata and family Fregatidae, of tropical and subtropical seas, having a long bill with a downturned tip, a wide wingspan, and a forked tail: order Pelecaniformes (pelicans, cormorants, etc). Also called: man-of-war bird Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014frig?ate bird` or frig?ate?bird`, n. any of several long-winged, fork-tailed seabirds of the family Fregatidae, of tropical oceans, noted for snatching prey from other birds in flight. [1730?40] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.