[1740–50; spring + -let]This word is first recorded in the period 1740–50. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: adagio, baseline, caricature, materialism, picnic-let is a diminutive suffix attached to nouns (booklet; piglet; ringlet), and, by extraction from bracelet, a suffix denoting a band, piece of jewelry, or article of clothing worn on the partof the body specified by the noun (anklet; wristlet)