Meanings
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1
noun
a person or group stationed outside a workplace or other site to protest and discourage entry
The striking workers formed a picket outside the factory gate.
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2
verb
to protest outside a workplace or other site, usually as part of an organized group
Union members planned to picket the depot throughout the morning.
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3
noun
a pointed stake driven into the ground, especially one forming part of a fence
Each picket in the garden fence was painted white.
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4
noun
a soldier, detachment, or vehicle posted ahead of a military position to watch for an enemy advance
The commander posted a picket beyond the camp to warn of a surprise attack.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From French piquet ("pointed stake"), from piquer ("to prick or pierce"). The stake gave its name to a military guard posted at an exposed position. In the nineteenth century, picket was extended to workers stationed outside a workplace during a labor dispute, producing the modern protest noun and verb.