Other

bayonet

Syllabification: (bay·o·net)

Pronunciation: /ˈbāənit, ˌbāəˈnet/

Translate bayonet | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish

Definition of bayonet

noun

1a swordlike stabbing blade that may be fixed to the muzzle of a rifle for use in hand-to-hand fighting.

2 [as modifier] denoting a fitting for a light bulb, camera lens, or other appliance that is engaged by being pushed into a socket and then twisted to lock it in place.

verb (bayonets, bayoneting, bayoneted)

[with object]

stab (someone) with a bayonet.

Origin:

late 17th century (denoting a kind of short dagger): from French baïonnette, from Bayonne, the name of a town in southwestern France, where they were first made

Spelling rule

Do not double the final consonant when adding endings that begin with a vowel to a word that ends in a vowel plus a consonant, if the stress is not at the end of the word (as in target): (bayonets, bayoneting, bayoneted).

bayonet in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of bayonet in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

More results for bayonet

More words in this category

Subscriber login

Library card login