Poignard

Poignard, or poniard, (Fr.), refers to a long, lightweight thrusting knife with a continuously tapering, acutely pointed blade and crossguard, historically worn by the upper class, noblemen, or the knighthood. Similar in design to a parrying dagger, the poignard emerged during the Middle Ages and was used during the Renaissance in Western Europe, particularly in France, Switzerland, and Italy.

Modern Usage
In modern French, the term poignard has come to be defined as synonymous with dague, the general term for "dagger", and in English the term poignard or poniard has gradually evolved into a term for any small, slender dagger.

The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife may be thought of as a modern version of the poignard.

Jean-Paul Marat was murdered in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday, a Girondist sympathizer, with a poignard during the French Revolution.