A mêlée weapon is any weapon that does not involve a projectile--that is, both the user and target of the weapon are in contact with it simultaneously in normal use. Examples include whips, maces (but not Mace; that is a chemical weapon), swords, clubs, and knives. The bayonet, still used in war as both knife and spearpoint. ... A whip is a cord or strap, usually with a stiff handle, used for delivering blows to human beings or animals as a means of control or punishment or torture. ... This article is about the personal weapon and its ceremonial derivative, for other meanings of mace please see mace (disambiguation) An advance on the club, a mace is a wooden, metal-reinforced, or metal shaft, with a head made of stone, copper, bronze, iron or steel. ... Mace is a brand of tear gas in the form of an aerosol spray which propels the lachrymatory mixed with a volatile solvent. ... Dressing the wounded during a gas attack by Austin O. Spare, 1918. ... A sword (from Old English sweord; akin to Old High German swerd lit. ... Hercules fights the Lernaean Hydra with a club A club or cudgel is perhaps the simplest of all melée weapons. ... traditional Norse knife A knife is a sharp-edged hand tool used for cutting. ...

Compare: Ranged weapons. A ranged weapon is any weapon that launches a projectile or that is a projectile itself. ...