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DictionarytasselHanging thread ornament
noun / verb

tassel

TAS-ul/ˈtæsl/

A hanging ornament made of loose threads tied together at one end.

A silky tassel hangs from the corner of the cushion.

Close-up of a decorative golden thread tassel hanging from the corner of a blue cushion, with its wrapped head and loose thread skirt clearly visible.
Etymology
tasselOld Frenchfringe, clasp

The Old French word covered both fringes and fastenings. In English, tassel first meant a cloak clasp, then a hanging ornament, usually of small cords; its deeper origin is uncertain.

In context

Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art7:52
brocade, a golden crown set with what looked like pearls, topped by a cross, sits on a cushion of red velvet lined with a braided trim and a gold flecked tassel that echoes the larger one above.
Georgian Provocations II: A Black King in Georgian London: British Art and Postrevolutionary Haiti

More examples

  • She moves the tassel on her graduation cap.
  • Gold tassels decorate the cords that hold the curtains open.
  • The costume designer tassels the ends of the sash.

Forms

tassel · tassels · tasseled · tasseling

Similar words

fringe
Forms a continuous border of threads rather than one hanging bunch.
pompom
Forms a fluffy ball rather than a hanging bundle of threads.