An eyelet is a small hole with a metal or leather ring round it which is made in cloth, for example a sail. You can put cord, rope, or string through it.
eyelet in British English
(ˈaɪlɪt)
noun
1.
a small hole for a lace or cord to be passed through or for a hook to be inserted into
2.
a small metal ring or tube with flared ends bent back, reinforcing an eyehole in fabric
3.
a chink or small opening, such as a peephole in a wall
4. embroidery
a.
a small hole with finely stitched edges, forming part of an ornamental pattern
b. Also called: eyelet embroidery
a piece of embroidery decorated with such work
5.
fabric decorated with such work produced by machine
6.
a small eye or eyelike marking
verb
7. (transitive)
to supply with an eyelet or eyelets
Word origin
C14: from Old French oillet, literally: a little eye, from oill eye, from Latin oculus eye; see eye1
eyelet in American English
(ˈaɪlɪt)
noun
1.
a small hole for receiving a shoestring, rope, cord, hook, etc.
2.
a metal ring or short tube for reinforcing such a hole
3.
a small hole edged by stitching in embroidered work
4.
a peephole or loophole
5.
a small eye; ocellus
verb transitive
6.
to provide with eyelets
Word origin
ME oylet < OFr oeillet, dim. of oeil, eye < L oculus, eye
Examples of 'eyelet' in a sentence
eyelet
"It's all right," the officer said when he noticed that the eyelet in the door had been opened.
Bill Adler and Mel Watkins WHO KILLED TIFFANY JONES? (2002)