picket

1 of 2

noun

pick·​et ˈpi-kət 

1

: a pointed or sharpened stake, post, or pale

2

a

: a detached body of soldiers serving to guard an army from surprise

b

: a detachment kept ready in camp for such duty

c

: sentry

3

a

: a person posted by a labor organization at a place of work affected by a strike

… dispossessed theatergoers shared the sidewalks with grim pickets yesterday as the stagehands' strike shut down most of Broadway's plays and musicals.

—Robert D. McFadden

also : a person posted for a demonstration or protest

In front of the White House pickets are marching …

—Lady Bird Johnson

b

: a protest or strike involving pickets

In such situations, the union often pickets the plant as well, but it is strictly an informational picket publicizing the nature of the controversy …

—Matthew A. Kelly

picket

2 of 2

verb

picketed; picketing; pickets

transitive verb

1

: to enclose, fence, or fortify with pickets

2

a

: to guard with a picket

b

: to post as a picket

3

: tether

4

a

: to post pickets at

b

: to walk or stand in front of as a picket

intransitive verb

: to serve as a picket

picketer noun

Synonyms

Noun

• custodian
• guard
• guardian
• keeper
• lookout
• minder
• sentinel
• sentry
• warden
• warder
• watch
• watcher
• watchman

Examples of picket in a Sentence

Noun

a house surrounded by a white picket fence

Pickets marched in front of the company headquarters.

The strikers held picket signs painted with angry slogans.

The students were barred from holding a picket outside the company's headquarters.

Verb

Workers picketed outside the grocery store.

The union is picketing the factory.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

She was relentlessly attacked and ridiculed on social media and on picket signs. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024

National Association of Letter Carriers NWI Southshore 580 joined many other letter carrier locals on Oct. 14 by hosting an informational picket outside the Old Lake County Courthouse to spread the word since Post Office workers by law are not allowed to strike. —Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 15 Oct. 2024

Verb

Dockworkers holding banners picket at a port as thousands of US dockworkers go on strike for the first time in decades in United States on October 01, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. —Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2024

And all those costs and hassles are likely to come at the worst possible time if striking dockworkers delay picketing until later this fall during peak holiday deliveries. —Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French piquet, from Middle French, from piquer to prick — more at pike

First Known Use

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1729, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Phrases Containing picket

• counter-picket
• cross the picket line
• picket fence
• picket line

Kids Definition

picket

1 of 2 noun

pick·​et ˈpik-ət 

1

: a pointed stake or post (as for a fence)

2

: a soldier or a group of soldiers assigned to stand guard

3

: a person (as a striking worker or a demonstrator) on a picket line

picket

2 of 2 verb

1

: to enclose, fence, or strengthen with pickets

2

a

: to guard with a picket

b

: to station as a picket

3

: tether entry 2

picket a horse

4

a

: to station pickets or act as a picket at

picket a factory

b

: to serve as a picket

picketer noun

Legal Definition

picket

1 of 2 noun

pick·​et

: a person posted by a labor organization at a place of employment affected by a labor dispute

broadly : a person posted for a demonstration or protest

picket

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to post pickets in front of : walk or stand in front of as a picket

their tactics have included picketing clinics

—L. H. Tribe

intransitive verb

: to demonstrate by use of pickets

a currently certified union may picket for recognition

also : to serve as a picket see also informational picketing, organizational picketing, secondary picketing compare strike

Note: While the right to peacefully picket for a lawful purpose is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, case law has recognized some limitations and the Labor Management Relations Act has placed some restrictions on organizational and secondary picketing.

picketer noun