noun
wicket
The set of stumps and bails defended by a batter in cricket.
The batter guards the wicket as the bowler runs forward.
Etymology
The older word means a small gate. Cricket applied that image to the gate-like arrangement of stumps and bails.
More examples
- The ball hits the wicket and knocks a bail off.
- Each wicket has three stumps topped by two bails.
- The players set up two wickets before the match.
Forms
wicket · wickets