What does aglet mean?
An aglet is the small sheath — usually plastic today, though traditionally metal, thread, or even precious material — that caps the end of a shoelace, drawstring, or cord. Its practical purpose is twofold: it prevents the fibres of the lace from unravelling, and its firm, tapered shape makes it far easier to push the lace through the eyelets of a shoe. The word also has an older, more decorative sense: in earlier centuries, aglets were ornamental tags or points attached to ribbons and laces on fine garments, sometimes made of silver or gold. Though the object is familiar to everyone who has ever tied a shoe, the word itself remains little known, which gives it a pleasing air of trivia. It is a concrete noun with no figurative uses, and its plural form is simply 'aglets'.
nounA small sheath, typically of metal or plastic, fixed to the end of a shoelace to prevent fraying and to make threading through eyelets easier; more broadly, any ornamental tag or point on a lace or cord.
- The protective cap (usually metal or plastic) at the end of a shoelace or drawstring that keeps it from fraying and aids threading.
- An ornamental tag or metal point used historically on laces, ribbons, or cords in dress and military uniform.
"The worn aglet had cracked off, leaving the shoelace to fray into a hopeless tangle."
"He threaded the new aglet carefully through each eyelet before tying the knot."
"Sixteenth-century doublets were often fastened with laces tipped with silver aglets."
Standard regular plural; used when referring to the tips of multiple laces or to aglets collectively.
"The craft kit came with a packet of brass aglets for finishing the leather cords."
That tiny plastic tip on your shoelace has a name — the aglet — and it comes from the same French root that gave us 'aigrette', the word for an egret's feathery crest.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of aglet
Aglet entered English in the early modern period from Middle French 'aiguillette', a diminutive of 'aiguille' meaning needle, which itself derives from Latin 'acus', meaning needle or pin. The original sense was thus a small needle-like point or tag on a lace. The same French root produced 'aigrette', referring both to an egret's crest of feathers and to a spray of jewels worn as ornament, making these words distant cousins. Over time the term narrowed in everyday use to refer chiefly to the functional tip of a shoelace.
How aglet is actually used
Aglet is a relatively rare, somewhat technical term; most speakers know the object but not its name. It is neutral in register but appears most often in discussions of clothing, footwear, crafts, and trivia. The plural is simply 'aglets'.
Easily confused with aglet
Despite the similar opening sound, an eagle is a large bird of prey, whereas an aglet is the small tip at the end of a lace.