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

The union hasn’t announced any further pickets, with the last one occurring last week, just before talks resumed. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2024

Union members hold picket signs during a news conference following a vote count on the union contract at the IAM District 751 Main Union Hall in Seattle, Washington, US, on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. —Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 13 Sep. 2024

Verb

And overall, workers are picketing at hundreds of Amazon facilities. —Rubie Mosqueda, TIME, 21 Dec. 2024

Starbucks Workers United members picket outside a Starbucks store in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 20 Dec. 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