picket: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal, News, Industrial Relations
Quick answer
What does “picket” mean?
A pointed wooden or metal stake driven into the ground, often used for a fence, tethering animals, or as part of a military barrier.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A pointed wooden or metal stake driven into the ground, often used for a fence, tethering animals, or as part of a military barrier.
A person or group stationed outside a workplace, government building, or event to protest, persuade others not to enter, or publicize a dispute. Also refers to a small group of soldiers or protesters on watch or demonstration duty.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning. Spelling and grammar are identical.
Connotations
Strongly associated with labour union strikes and protests in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in news reporting about industrial action or demonstrations.
Grammar
How to Use “picket” in a Sentence
NOUN: The workers formed a picket.TRANSITIVE VERB (PROTEST): Union members will picket the factory.TRANSITIVE VERB (FENCE): They decided to picket the garden boundary.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “picket” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The union plans to picket the distribution centre from dawn.
- Striking lecturers have been picketing the university's main entrance.
American English
- The workers voted to picket the plant indefinitely.
- Protesters are picketing City Hall over the proposed budget cuts.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable (No standard adverbial form)
American English
- Not applicable (No standard adverbial form)
adjective
British English
- They erected a traditional picket fence around the cottage garden.
- A picket line formed outside the gates at six o'clock.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to industrial action by employees; 'The union announced it would picket the headquarters.'
Academic
Used in political science, history, and sociology texts analysing labour movements and social protests.
Everyday
Primarily understood as a protest action. The 'stake' meaning is less common in everyday talk.
Technical
In military contexts: a small, forward observation post. In fencing/construction: a type of pointed post.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “picket”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “picket”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “picket”
- Using 'picket' as a general synonym for 'protest' (e.g., 'They picketed against the law.'). Correct: 'They picketed the parliament against the law.' The verb usually requires the location as an object.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while most common in labour disputes, it can be used for any protest where people stand outside a location to persuade others (e.g., picketing an embassy, a shop selling fur coats, or a political convention).
It means to go into a workplace past people who are picketing it, often to work. This is seen as breaking solidarity with the strikers and can be controversial.
A fence made of pointed wooden stakes (pickets) attached to horizontal rails. The classic 'white picket fence' is an American cultural symbol of middle-class suburban life.
Yes, it's frequently used as a verb meaning 'to act as a picket at' or 'to station pickets at' (e.g., 'They will picket the store all week').
A pointed wooden or metal stake driven into the ground, often used for a fence, tethering animals, or as part of a military barrier.
Picket is usually formal, news, industrial relations in register.
Picket: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpɪkɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɪkɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “picket line”
- “cross the picket line”
- “flying picket”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a PROTESTER holding a pointed STAKE (the original 'picket') with a sign attached to it. The object and the action are linked.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROTEST IS A BARRICADE/FORTIFICATION (from the military sense of a defensive post).
Practice
Quiz
What is the original, concrete meaning of 'picket'?