A melee weapon, hand weapon or close combat weapon is any handheld weapon used in hand-to-hand combat, i.e. for use within the direct physical reach of the weapon itself, essentially functioning as an additional (and more impactful) extension of the user's limbs.By contrast, a ranged weapon is any other weapon capable of engaging targets at a distance beyond …

A melee (/ ˈ m eɪ l eɪ / or / ˈ m ɛ l eɪ /, French: mêlée) or pell-mell is disorganized hand-to-hand combat in battles fought at abnormally close range with little central control once it starts. In military aviation, a melee has been defined as "[a]n air battle in which several aircraft, both friend and foe, are confusingly intermingled".