eyelet

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A small hole or perforation, usually rimmed with metal, cord, fabric, or leather, used for fastening with a cord or hook.
2. n. A metal ring designed to reinforce such a hole; a grommet.
3. n. A small hole edged with embroidered stitches as part of a design.
4. n. A peephole.
5. n. A small eye.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A small aperture; specifically, a small round hole worked round the edge like a buttonhole, used in dressmaking, sailmaking, and the like. Also eyelet-hole.
2. n. A metallic ring designed to be placed in a perforation called an eyelet-hole, in cloth, leather, etc., for the passage of a lace, cord, or small rope; also, a similar ring used for fastening together sheets of paper, etc. It is made as an extremely short tube, the edges of which are pressed over and outward so as to clasp the material to which it is applied.
3. n. In entomology: A small eye or ocellate spot; a small spot with a central dot of another color.
4. n. An ocellus or simple eye.
5. To furnish or fasten with an eyelet.

Wiktionary

1. n. An object that consists of a rim and small hole or perforation to receive a cord or fastener, as in garments, sails, etc. An eyelet may reinforce a hole.
2. n. A shaped metal embellishment containing a hole, used in scrapbook. Eyelets are typically set by punching a hole in the page, placing the smooth side of the eyelet on a table, positioning the paper over protruding edge and curling the edge down using a hammer and eyelet setter.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A small hole or perforation to receive a cord or fastener, as in garments, sails, etc.
2. n. A metal ring or grommet, or short metallic tube, the ends of which can be bent outward and over to fasten it in place; -- used to line an eyelet hole.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. fastener consisting of a metal ring for lining a small hole to permit the attachment of cords or lines
2. n. a small hole (usually round and finished around the edges) in cloth or leather for the passage of a cord or hook or bar