A hanging bunch of threads or cords knotted together, often used as a decoration on curtains, hats, or clothing.
From Old French 'tassel' (a clasp or fastening), possibly from Latin 'taxillus' (small die or cube). The word originally meant something more structural, but evolved to mean the hanging ornamental fringe we recognize today.
Tassels appear in every culture that has rope or thread—from medieval European nobility to Japanese ceremonial dress—and they're purely decorative now, but they originally were practical fasteners that turned into status symbols!
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