Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a woman.

1655		Mercurius Fumigosus 45 4–11 Apr. 360: The Brest[?] Pyrates of Kentish Town, who doe sometimes snap upon a Pinnace or Frigate, as she is saling from Barnet to London.
1659		Mercurius Democritus 3-10 Aug. 89: A most gallant harbour for small Frigots, out of which issued forth a small Vessel [...] laden with Winchester Geese.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 363: Her frequent trading, and those many shots she had received between wind and water in the service, had so altered her countenance, and disproportioned her body, that I knew not whether this Frigate was English of Flemish built.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) 83: The Night approaching she riggs her self in best manner she can . . . having weighed Anchor and quitted Port, she steers her course for some one principal street, as Cheap-side . . . and if she meet never a Man of War between Snow-Hill and the Poultry, she tacks and stands away to the other side [of the street]; but if she be a tolerable tight Frigat, she is laid aboard before, made fast with the Crapplings, and presently rummaged in the Whold; sometimes she sheers off and leaves my Man of War on Fire.
1677		Behn Rover III iv: How is this, a Piccaroon going to board my Frigate! here’s one Chase-Gun for you. [Drawing his Sword, justles Ant. who turns and draws].
1683		Whores Rhetorick 112: Those then that are Frigates of a smaller size, and lower Rate, must be stored with ready and easy excuses, to palliate the disorder of their weak Tackling.
1691		City Cheat Discovered n.p.: Fire-ships and Friggots, with Top masts and Sails, / At Coffe-house-Bay they cast Anchor at Night; / The mistriss salutes them in nasty Night-rails / Come in hansome Women.
c.1700		London-Bawd (1705) 153: The Gentleman he Named, being one [...] I had often supply’d with some of my First-rate-Frigots, as he used to call ’em.
1705		S. Centlivre Basset Table Act II: A tight little Frigate.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: frigot well-rigg’d a Woman well drest and genteel.
1741		‘Capt. Samuel Cock’ Voyage to Lethe 30: His Grace the Duke of M— is master of a noble tall frigate, and used to penetrate with his bowsprit even into the privy garden of the palace.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: A well-rigged frigate; a well-dressed wench.
a.1790		C. Dibdin ‘Saturday Night at Sea’ in Collection of Songs I 188: Cried honest Tom, my Peg I’ll toast, / A frigate neat and trim.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum [as cit. 1785].
1826		C.M. Westmacott Eng. Spy II 368: The frigate yonder with the brown breast works, and she with the pink facings, look something like privateers.
1832		Satirist (London) 22 Jan. 31/3: My tight little frigate, I cannot go on board of you to night. I have been firing grape with a Frenchman, until I am half-seas over.
c.1850		Peeping Tom (London) 9 34/1: ‘[P]laying up old gooseberry with that tight little frigate Madam James’.
1877		‘Bound ’Prentice to a Waterman’ in Laughing Songster 122: My pretty little frigate, how glad I be’s to find you here.

2. (also frigate of Venus) a prostitute.

1787		Harris’s List of Covent-Garden Ladies 60: The first-rate Frigate of Venus is not afraid of any man of war.
1809		T. Rowlandson [print caption] Launching a Frigate [a madam and a novice whore].
1843		Whip & Satirist of NY & Brooklyn (NY) 14 Jan. n.p.: There cannot be any mode adopted for inventing a lock and key to protect him [...] from mounting a wet deck so often, particularly that of a frigate I considery slippery and dangerous.
1850		Man of Pleasure’s Illus. Pocket-book n.p.: [A] certain valiant blue jacket captain, who has had her in tow for some time, and we believe furnishes supplies of stores and keeps her afloat, says, ‘His little frigate is a craft fit for a king to board and an admiral to be prize master of’ .
1855		Broadway Belle (NY) 12 Feb. n.p.: We were sailing down Canal, when we spied a neat little craft [...] In the mean time, the frigate, perceiving that we were following, began to sail considerably slower.