aglet

American  

[ag-lit] / ˈæg lɪt /

Also aiglet

noun

1. a metal or plastic tag or sheath at the end of a lace used for tying, as of a shoelace.

2. (in the 16th and 17th centuries) an ornament at the end of a point or other ribbon used to secure a garment.

3. aiguillette.

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aglet British  

/ ˈæɡlɪt /

noun

1. a metal sheath or tag at the end of a shoelace, ribbon, etc

2. a variant spelling of aiguillette

3. any ornamental pendant

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Etymology

Origin of aglet

1400–50; late Middle English < Middle French aiguillette, equivalent to aiguille needle ( see aiguille) + -ette -et

Explanation

The little plastic tip at the end of your shoelace is called an aglet. If the aglets wear off, it can be hard to lace up your old basketball sneakers. There are two ways to spell this very specific thing, the plastic or metal shoelace tip that makes it fit more easily through the eyelets in your shoes: aglet and aiglet. Sometimes the aglet makes your life easier, and in other cases, it's just for decoration. The Middle French root is aiguillette, a diminutive of aiguille, "needle," from the Latin acus, which also means "needle," by way of its own diminutive, the Late Latin acucula.