picket

1 of 2

noun

pick·​et ˈpi-kət How to pronounce picket (audio)
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

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
The union has scheduled a Wednesday picket in front of the Warner Bros. Games offices in Burbank. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Oct. 2024 Economists say that a short-term strike will not have major consequences of consumers, but a picket longer than a week or two could impact products from bananas to cars. Reia Li, The Arizona Republic, 2 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 See all Example Sentences for picket 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'picket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of picket was in 1687

Dictionary Entries Near picket

Cite this Entry

“Picket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picket. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

picket

1 of 2 noun
pick·​et ˈpik-ət How to pronounce picket (audio)
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 clinicsL. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on picket

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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