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
frigate bird in American English
any of a family (Fregatidae) of large, tropical pelecaniform birds with extremelylong wings and tail and a hooked beak: it commonly robs other birds of their prey