aglet
\ AG-lit \, noun;
1.a metal tag or sheath at the end of a lace used for tying, as of a shoelace.
2.(in the 16th and 17th centuries) an ornament at the end of a point or other ribbon used to secure a garment.
3.aiguillette (def. 1).
Quotes:
One of the aglets at the end of his shoelace contained a highly compressed irritant agent, primarily Chloroacetophenone—a mild but smoky form of tear gas.
-- Tom Clancy, " Balance of Power ," 1998
"The aglet ," I said. “And the little metal ring that reinforces the rim of the eyelet through which the aglet passes. We're doing the physics of language, Shay."
-- Don DeLillo, "Underworld ," 1997
Origin:
Aglet is derived from the Middle French word aiguille meaning "needle."
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