From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Picket \Pick"et\, n. [F. piquet, properly dim. of pique spear,
pike. See {Pike}, and cf. {Piquet}.]
1. A stake sharpened or pointed, especially one used in
fortification and encampments, to mark bounds and angles;
or one used for tethering horses.
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2. A pointed pale, used in marking fences.
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3. [Probably so called from the picketing of the horses.]
(Mil.) A detached body of troops serving to guard an army
from surprise, and to oppose reconnoitering parties of the
enemy; -- called also {outlying picket}.
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4. By extension, men appointed by a trades union, or other
labor organization, to intercept outsiders, and prevent
them from working for employers with whom the organization
is at variance. [Cant]
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5. A military punishment, formerly resorted to, in which the
offender was forced to stand with one foot on a pointed
stake.
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6. A game at cards. See {Piquet}.
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{Inlying picket} (Mil.), a detachment of troops held in camp
or quarters, detailed to march if called upon.
{Picket fence}, a fence made of pickets. See def. 2, above.
{Picket guard} (Mil.), a guard of horse and foot, always in
readiness in case of alarm.
{Picket line}. (Mil.)
(a) A position held and guarded by small bodies of men
placed at intervals.
(b) A rope to which horses are secured when groomed.
{Picketpin}, an iron pin for picketing horses.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Picket \Pick"et\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Picketed}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Picketing}.]
1. To fortify with pointed stakes.
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2. To inclose or fence with pickets or pales.
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3. To tether to, or as to, a picket; as, to picket a horse.
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4. To guard, as a camp or road, by an outlying picket.
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5. To torture by compelling to stand with one foot on a
pointed stake. [Obs.]
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Piquet \Pi*quet"\, n. [F., prob. fr. pique. See {Pique}, {Pike},
and {Picket}.]
A game at cards played between two persons, with thirty-two
cards, all the deuces, threes, fours, fives, and sixes, being
set aside. [Written also {picket} and {picquet}.]
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
picket
n 1: a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
[syn: {lookout}, {lookout man}, {sentinel}, {sentry},
{watch}, {spotter}, {scout}, {picket}]
2: a detachment of troops guarding an army from surprise attack
3: a protester posted by a labor organization outside a place of
work
4: a vehicle performing sentinel duty
5: a wooden strip forming part of a fence [syn: {picket},
{pale}]
6: 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 [syn: {picket}, {piquet}]
v 1: serve as pickets or post pickets; "picket a business to
protest the layoffs"
2: fasten with a picket; "picket the goat"
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