man-of-war bird
Preserved but no longer current.
The frigate-bird. Man proposes, but God disposes. So we read in the Imitatio Christi (Homo propomt, sed Deus disponit, I, xix, 2). Herbert (Jacula Pruaentum) has nearly the same words; as also has Montluc: Vhomme propose et Dieu dis- pose (Comedie de Proverbes, iii, 7).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “man-of-war bird” mean?
The frigate-bird. Man proposes, but God disposes. So we read in the Imitatio Christi (Homo propomt, sed Deus disponit, I, xix, 2). Herbert (Jacula Pruaentum) has nearly the same words; as also has Montluc: Vhomme propose et Dieu dis- pose (Comedie de Proverbes, iii, 7).
Is “man-of-war bird” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.