Aglet - wikipedia Aglet For the Java - based mobile agent platform, see Aglets. Not to be confused with Aiguillette. Three different types of aglets : double punched copper, plastic sheath, and inward fold brass An aglet ( / ˈæɡlət / AG - lət ) is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, used on each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring. 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 eyelets, lugs, or other lacing guides. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Variety 4 See also 5 References Etymology The word aglet or aiglet comes from the Old French word aguillette, the diminutive of aiguille, meaning `` needle '', which is in turn derived from the Latin word for a needle, acus. History Aglets were originally made of metal, glass, or stone, and many were very ornamental. Wealthy people in the Roman era would have their aglets made out of precious metals such as brass or silver. Before the invention of buttons, they were used on the ends of the ribbons used to fasten clothing together. Sometimes they were formed into small figures. 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. '' 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. Variety There is a subtle distinction between aglets, which are generally functional, and aiguillettes, which are generally decorative. Aiguillettes usually appear at the end of decorative cords, such as bolo ties 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 the sake of durability. Some may add logos or pictures to show that the shoelaces are their own products. See also Look up aglet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Ferrule Whipping knot Armscye References Jump up ^ `` Aglet ''. Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 20 September 2017. Jump up ^ `` Aglet. '' Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2017. Jump up ^ Picken, Mary Brooks : The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. ( 1973 edition ISBN 0 - 308 - 10052 - 2 ) ^ Jump up to : `` What Is an Aglet ? ''. Wonderopolis.org. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 28. ^ Jump up to : Cave, James ( 2016 - 06 - 22 ). `` Behold, The Aglet : That Thing On The End Of Your Shoelace ''. Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 28. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aglet&oldid=864961846 '' Categories : Parts of clothing Footwear accessories Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Asturianu Български Català Dansk Español Français 한국어 Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 11 more Edit links This page was last edited on 20 October 2018, at 19 : 15 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: what are the things on the end of your shoelaces called
Answer: An aglet