Thin cords or strings threaded through holes to fasten shoes or other things, or the act of threading such cords.
From Old French 'las' (snare or loop), derived from Latin 'laqueus.' The meaning has remained consistent—a way to bind things together with cord.
The bow-tying method most kids learn—over, under, across—was only codified in the 1950s; before that, people used different tying systems, which is why some adults tie bows differently.
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