What is the plastic tip on a shoelace called?
Quick Answer
It is called an aglet. It stops the lace from fraying and makes it easy to thread through the eyelets of a shoe.
The Full Story
The small sheath at the end of a shoelace, drawstring or cord is an aglet (also spelled aiglet). The word comes from the Old French aguillette, a diminutive of aiguille, meaning needle, because the tip acts like a needle that guides the lace through holes. Aglets are much older than modern shoes: centuries ago they were often made of metal and used on ribbons and laces that fastened clothing, sometimes as decoration. Shakespeare even mentions an 'aglet-baby' in The Taming of the Shrew. Most modern aglets are made of plastic, usually acetate, that is heat-sealed onto the lace.
Key Facts
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"The tiny part of your shoe that everyone uses and almost no one can name"
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