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tassel

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A hanging ornament made of threads gathered at one end; decorative fringe; also the pollen-bearing flower at the top of a corn plant or similar structure.

Detailed Definition
As adornment, “tassel” evokes luxury; as plant part, fertility. In poetry, both appear: tasseled curtains, corn tassels. The duality enriches metaphor—decoration versus function. Poets use it to explore how beauty serves or signifies, where tassels mark status or seasonal abundance, reinforcing themes of artifice, growth, and sensory detail in descriptive and lyrical traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Her gown was trimmed with golden tassel,” in a courtly description; In ceremonial verse: “The banner’s tassel caught the wind”; “He wore a tassel on his scholar’s cap”; “The tassel of memory dangled from the locket”; “The horse’s bridle bore a crimson tassel”; The tassel danced like a tiny flame.
Additional Notes
“Tassel” as ornamental fringe appears in descriptions of regalia or architecture; as botanical term (corn tassel), it grounds poetry in agricultural cycles, blending decoration with fertility in layered natural imagery.
Also Known As
ornament pendant tuft
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