What does bayonet mean?
A bayonet is a blade — typically knife-shaped or sword-shaped — designed to be mounted on the muzzle end of a rifle so that the weapon can be used in hand-to-hand combat. First developed in seventeenth-century Europe, it transformed the infantryman's firearm into a combined gun and spear. The verb 'to bayonet' means to stab someone with such a weapon, often used in accounts of historical warfare. The word carries strong martial and historical connotations, evoking images of disciplined ranks, trench warfare, and close combat. Common phrases include 'fix bayonets,' a command to attach them, and 'bayonet charge.' Though largely obsolete on the modern battlefield, where firearms are effective at far greater ranges, the bayonet remains part of military training and ceremonial tradition, and the word persists in figurative uses referring to force or coercion.
A steel blade designed to be attached to the muzzle of a firearm for use in close combat.
"He inspected each rifle to ensure its bayonet was securely fitted."
Often used in the plural when discussing military equipment collectively.
To stab or wound with a bayonet.
"The wounded soldier was bayoneted by advancing enemy troops."
Typically used in passive constructions in historical or military writing.
Standard plural; used when referring to multiple bayonets or collective military equipment.
"Hundreds of bayonets glinted along the regiment's line."
The bayonet is named after Bayonne, France — and for centuries it turned every foot soldier's musket into both a gun and a spear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bayonet
The word 'bayonet' derives from the French 'baïonnette,' named after Bayonne, a town in southwestern France where the weapon was reputedly first made or used. It entered English in the late seventeenth century as the plug bayonet came into use among European armies. It has no significant English cognates beyond related French forms.
Related word forms
Easily confused with bayonet
A bonnet is a type of headwear or, in British English, a car's hood — unrelated in meaning to bayonet despite the similar ending.