Editing Aglet

{{Short description|Sheath on the end of a shoelace or cord}}
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{{not to be confused with|Aiguillette}}
[[Image:Three Different Aglets.jpg|thumb|200px|Three different types of aglets: double-punched copper, plastic sheath, and inward fold brass]]

An '''aglet''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|g|l|ə|t}} {{respell|AG|lət}})<ref name=merriam>{{cite web|title= Aglet|url= https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aglet|website=Merriam-webster.com|access-date=20 September 2017}}</ref> or '''aiglet''' is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, attached at each end of a [[shoelace]], a [[Rope|cord]], or a [[drawstring]].<ref>"Aglet." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2017. </ref> An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through [[Grommet| eyelets]], lugs, or other lacing guides.

==Etymology==
The word ''aglet'' and its variant ''aiglet'' come from the [[Middle French]] and [[Old French]] word ''{{lang|fro|aguillette}}'',  the diminutive of ''{{lang|fro|aguille}}'', meaning "needle, pin", which in turn comes from the [[Late Latin]] ''{{lang|la|acucula}}'' ("ornamental pin, pine needle"), diminutive of ''acus'', the Latin word for a needle or pin.<ref name=merriam/><ref>Picken, Mary Brooks: ''The Fashion Dictionary'', Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition {{ISBN|0-308-10052-2}})</ref>

==History==
Aglets were originally made of metal, glass, or stone,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-an-aglet|title=What Is an Aglet?|work=Wonderopolis.org|access-date=2017-07-28|language=en}}</ref> and many were very ornamental. Wealthy people in the [[Ancient Rome|Roman era]] would have their aglets made out of precious metals such as brass or silver. 

Before the invention of [[Button (clothing)|button]]s, they were used on the ends of the [[ribbon]]s used to fasten clothing together. Sometimes they were formed into small figures. [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] calls this type of figure an "aglet baby" in ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]''.

According to ''Huffington Post'' editor James Cave, "The history of the aglet's evolution is a little knotty—many sources credit it as being popularized by an English inventor named Harvey Kennedy who is said to have earned $2.5 million off the modern shoelace in the 1790s."<ref name="JamesCave"/>

Today, the clear plastic aglets on the end of shoelaces are put there by special machines. The machines wrap plastic tape around the end of new shoelaces and use heat or chemicals to melt the plastic onto the shoelace and bond the plastic to itself.<ref name="JamesCave">{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-is-an-aglet_us_576838a6e4b015db1bca2a6d|title=Behold, the Aglet: That Thing on the End of Your Shoelace|last=Cave|first=James|date=2016-06-22|work=Huffington Post|access-date=2017-07-28|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Variety==
There is a subtle distinction between aglets, which are generally functional, and [[aiguillette]]s, which are generally decorative. Aiguillettes usually appear at the end of decorative cords, such as [[bolo tie]]s and the cords on military dress uniforms. 

Shoe companies often produce their own shoelaces, for which they manufacture aglets. Many companies prefer to add metal sheaths over plastic aglets for better durability. Some may also add logos or pictures.<ref name=":0" />

==See also==
{{wiktionary}}
* [[Ferrule]]
* [[Whipping knot]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Parts of clothing]]
[[Category:Footwear accessories]]