Bayonet

a steel dagger or stabbing instrument, made to be attached by an infantryman to the muzzle of his gun. In its original form, it had a sharp point and three edges. It was also made with a flat or sword-shaped blade. The shank was inserted in the muzzle of the gun after the soldier had fired. An improvement has been introduced by forming a shank in the shape of a ring in which the muzzle of the musket may be inserted in such a way that the soldier may fire his gun with the bayonet fixed. The name is derived from Bayonne, a Biscayan town of France, where it is said to have been invented. This theory is rendered more probable by the fact that the French have long maintained an arsenal at Bayonne. See Spear