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picket
(redirected from pickets)

   Also found in: Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
pick·et  (pkt)
n.
1. A pointed stake often driven into the ground to support a fence, secure a tent, tether animals, mark points in surveying, or, when pointed at the top, serve as a defense.
2. A detachment of one or more troops, ships, or aircraft held in readiness or advanced to warn of an enemy's approach: "The outlying sonar picket.... was to detect, localize, and engage any submarine trying to close the convoy" Tom Clancy.
3.
a. A person or group of persons stationed outside a place of employment, usually during a strike, to express grievance or protest and discourage entry by nonstriking employees or customers.
b. A person or group of persons present outside a building to protest.
v. pick·et·ed, pick·et·ing, pick·ets
v.tr.
1. To enclose, secure, tether, mark out, or fortify with pickets.
2.
a. To post as a picket.
b. To guard with a picket.
3. To post a picket or pickets during a strike or demonstration.
v.intr.
To act or serve as a picket.

[French piquet, from Old French, from piquer, to prick; see pique.]

picket·er n.

picket
Noun
1. a person or group standing outside a workplace to dissuade strikebreakers from entering
2. a small unit of troops posted to give early warning of attack
3. a pointed stake that is driven into the ground to support a fence
Verb
[-eting, -eted]
to act as pickets outside (a workplace) [Old French piquer to prick]

Picket a small detached body of troops, 1761. See also detachment, detail.
Examples: picket of cavalry and infantry, 1844; of soldiers; of the spirit host, 1866; of strikers.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.picketpicket - a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
security guard, watchman, watcher - a guard who keeps watch
2.picket - a detachment of troops guarding an army from surprise attack
detachment - a small unit of troops of special composition
3.picket - a protester posted by a labor organization outside a place of work
protester, demonstrator - someone who participates in a public display of group feeling
4.picket - a vehicle performing sentinel duty
military vehicle - vehicle used by the armed forces
picket boat - a boat serving as a picket
picket ship - a ship serving as a picket
armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"
5.picket - a wooden strip forming part of a fence
paling, picket fence - a fence made of upright pickets
strip - thin piece of wood or metal
6.picket - a form of military punishment used by the British in the late 17th century in which a soldier was forced to stand on one foot on a pointed stake
torturing, torture - the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason; "it required unnatural torturing to extract a confession"
Verb1.picket - serve as pickets or post pickets; "picket a business to protest the layoffs"
demonstrate, march - march in protest; take part in a demonstration; "Thousands demonstrated against globalization during the meeting of the most powerful economic nations in Seattle"
2.picket - fasten with a picket; "picket the goat"
fasten, fix, secure - cause to be firmly attached; "fasten the lock onto the door"; "she fixed her gaze on the man"

picket
verb 1. blockade, boycott, demonstrate outside
noun 3. protester, demonstrator, picketer, flying picket
Translations
Spanish picket [ˈpɪkɪt] n (in strike) → piquete m
vthacer un piquete en, piquetear;
to be on picket duty → estar de piquete

French picket [ˈpɪkɪt] n (in strike) → gréviste m/f participant à un piquet de grève; piquet m de grève
vtmettre un piquet de grève devant

German picket [ˈpɪkɪt] n (in strike) → Streikposten m
vt [+ factory etc] → Streikposten aufstellen vor +dat

Italian picket [ˈpɪkɪt] n (in strike) → scioperante m/f che fa parte di un picchetto; picchetto

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