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DictionaryRoot: piquet
French

piquet

a small pointed stake

Forms

  • piquet
  • picket — The English spelling.

Origin

Formed in French from pic, “point or pick,” with an ending suggesting a smaller object.

Note

A stake marking a position helped give the word its military and protest uses.

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noun / verb

picket

PIK-it/ˈpɪkɪt/

a protest outside a site intended to discourage entry or draw attention to a dispute

The protesters picket outside the factory entrance.

An older man visibly picketing outside a factory entrance, carrying a protest placard with a crossed-out factory pictogram; a fellow protester stands beside him with a raised fist.
Etymology
picketFrencha small pointed stake

From piquet, “pointed stake,” picket came to name troops stationed ahead of an army to watch for enemies. It then named striking workers stationed outside a workplace to prevent others from entering.

More examples

  • A picket discouraged deliveries.
  • They picketed the office for a week.
  • The workers are picketing peacefully.

Forms

picket · pickets · picketed · picketing

Similar words

protest
A broader expression of objection, not necessarily outside a site.
demonstration
Can involve a march or rally rather than a picket.