wicket

noun

wick·​et ˈwi-kət 

1

: a small gate or door

especially : one forming part of or placed near a larger gate or door

2

: an opening like a window

especially : a grilled or grated window through which business is transacted

3

a

: either of the two sets of three stumps topped by two crosspieces and set 66 feet apart at which the ball is bowled in cricket

b

: an area 10 feet wide bounded by these wickets

c

: one innings of a batsman

specifically : one that is not completed or never begun

win by three wickets

4

: an arch or hoop in croquet

Examples of wicket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kumar finished with 28 wickets in 16 matches, joint highest with Gujarat’s Kagiso Rabada, who still has an innings to bowl. —ABC News, 31 May 2026

His 340 Test wickets ranks him fourth in South Africa’s all-time list behind Dale Steyn (439), Shaun Pollock (421) and Makhaya Ntini (390). —Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 21 May 2026

There’s a 22-yard pitch and involves two wickets on each side and scoring runs. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026

The bowling team attempts to dismiss the opposition in a variety of ways, including catching a ball the batsman hit or breaking the wickets behind him (bowled). —Pratham Valluri, AZCentral.com, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wiket, from Anglo-French, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse vīk inlet, corner

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wicket

• sticky wicket

Rhymes for wicket

• chicot
• cricket
• picket
• picot
• thicket
• ticket

Kids Definition

wicket

noun

wick·​et ˈwik-ət 

1

: a small gate or door

especially : one in or near a larger one

2

: a small window (as at a ticket office) through which one does business

3

: either of the two sets of three rods topped by two crosspieces at which the ball is bowled in cricket

4

: an arch or hoop (as of wire) through which a ball is hit in croquet