Conchos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A decorative element, often made of metal, typically used in belts, buckles, or leather goods
2. An ornamental piece that features designs and is sometimes circular or oval
3. A type of fastener that serves both practical and aesthetic purposes on various clothing or accessories

Etymology: The concho is a small decorative metal disc, typically silver, that Spanish-speaking horsemen of the American Southwest sewed onto leather belts, hatbands and saddles. Its name is simply the Spanish word for "shell," borrowed from the Latin "concha," which came from the Greek "kónkhē," meaning a mussel or shell. The metal discs were named for their resemblance to the rounded shells of the sea. The plural form "conchos" is the form in which the word is almost always used, since a piece of tack would carry many of these discs at once. Each is one of those ornaments, and the plural is what the word is most often seen in.