Tassel

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈtæsəl/

Definitions

1. A clustering of threads or cords that decoratively hangs from an item, commonly serving as an embellishment or a symbol of distinction
2. A grouping of elongated threads that dangle from a fastening, often utilized to enhance aesthetics or denote rank and status
3. A decorative assembly of interwoven threads or cords that hangs from a larger object, often used for ornamental purposes or to signify achievement or identity

Etymology: The surprising link here runs through dice and ankle bones. Latin "tālus" meant "ankle," and its diminutive "tāxillus" meant "small cube," because the ankle bone (the talus) was used as a gaming piece with flat faces, much like a die. The Old French "tassel" carried that cube shape over into a new sense, and the word ended up naming a small hanging object rather than anything resembling a die. The image that connects these senses is a bundle or block of hanging threads, which the English word took up in Middle English. A tassel is a cluster of threads gathered at one end and left loose at the other, so the small compact knot at the top gives it a shape related to that original cube. Its use on fastenings for decoration or to mark rank follows from that same bundled, hanging form.

Synonyms: fringe, decoration