corvette

noun3

1. •
   In a modern navy, a lightly armed and armoured blue water warship, smaller than a frigate, capable of transoceanic duty.
2. •
   A starship of comparable role
3. •
   (historical) A flush-decked warship of the 17th-18th centuries having a single tier of guns; it ranked next below a frigate; called in the United States navy a sloop-of-war.