man-of-war 
(also man-o'-war)
noun (plural men-of-war or men-o'-war)
1 historical An armed sailing ship.Jones, a man known for his attention to detail in shipbuilding praised the craftsmanship of the Portsmouth workers when they built the man-of-war, America, in 1782....
- Modern designers might well pine for a vessel with the nearly unlimited range, comparatively low construction cost, and ease of repair and resupply offered by the sailing man-of-war.
- The stronger and longer the wind blows onshore, the more likely men-of-war will be around.
2 (also man-of-war bird) another term for frigate bird.It is certain that on moonlit nights the man-of-war bird may be seen for hours floating far above the sea....
- Santiago sees a man-of-war bird circling in the sky ahead of him.
- Small birds are altogether absent and, except the ordinary domestic fowl, we found only the tropic or man-of-war bird, petrels, gulls, and a variety of aquatic birds.