A small ring or grommet, usually made of rope or metal, sewn or attached to the edge of a sail to allow attachment of ropes or other hardware.
From Dutch krengel or Low German kringel meaning ring, related to Old Norse hringr. The word traveled to English through maritime contact and describes the metallic or rope rings used in sailing.
Cringles are tiny but crucial details on sails that sailors have relied on for centuries—they're one of those nautical terms that shows how maritime vocabulary is incredibly specific and specialized, with different words for different parts of ships that non-sailors have no reason to know.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.