'tassel' originates from Middle English and Old French 'tasel' or 'tassel', meaning 'tuft' or 'ornament', ultimately of uncertain origin.

'tassel' changed from Old French 'tasel' into Middle English 'tasel'/'tassel' and eventually became the modern English word 'tassel' (with related adjectival and verbal forms such as 'tasselled').

Initially, it meant 'a tuft or small bunch (used as an ornament)'; over time this core meaning has remained, extending to both the noun (the ornament) and the verb (to add such an ornament).