A bayonet is a knife attached to the end of a rifle. ... This handy extension to the business end of a rifle gets its name from the French city of Bayonne. It's thought to have developed when French peasantry ran out of ammo and stuffed their knives into the muzzles of their muskets.

What is the word bayonet mean?

(Entry 1 of 2) : a steel blade attached at the muzzle end of a shoulder arm (such as a rifle) and used in hand-to-hand combat.

Why is it called a bayonet?

The first use of bayonets was simply a knife stuck on the end of a musket barrel used by French hunters catching wild boar. This combination was then used in warfare, and became known as a plug bayonet.