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bayonet |
Also found in: Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.65 sec. |
bayonetShort, sharp-edged, sometimes pointed weapon, designed for attachment to the muzzle of a firearm. According to tradition, it was developed in Bayonne, France, early in the 17th century and soon spread throughout Europe. The earliest design, the plug bayonet, was inserted into the muzzle of a musket, thus preventing the musket from being fired until the bayonet was removed. Later designs, including the socket bayonet invented by Sebastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1688), slipped it over the muzzle. Repeating firearms greatly reduced its combat value. By World War I it had become an all-purpose knife. bayonet 1. a blade that can be attached to the muzzle of a rifle for stabbing in close combat. 2. a type of fastening in which a cylindrical member is inserted into a socket against spring pressure and turned so that pins on its side engage in slots in the socket How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Baylis Baylis, Lilian Bayliss, Sir William Maddock Baylor University Baylor, Elgin Baylor, Robert Emmett Bledsoe Bayne-Jones, Stanhope Baynoet bayonet bayonet connector Bayonne bayou Bayreuth Bayreuth Festival Bayrut |
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