A variant spelling of 'basinet' or 'basnet,' a light helmet with a rounded shape used in medieval warfare.
From Old French 'bacinet,' a diminutive of 'bascine' (basin-shaped helmet), evolving from 'basin' due to the helmet's rounded form.
The basnet was the preferred helmet of common soldiers in the 1300s because it was lighter than previous designs but still protected the face—a perfect example of how medieval warfare drove innovations in metallurgy and engineering.
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