n. & v.
n. 1 a person or group of people outside a place of work, intending to persuade esp. workers not to enter during a strike etc. 2 a pointed stake or peg driven into the ground to form a fence or palisade, to tether a horse, etc. 3 (also picquet, piquet) Mil. a a small body of troops sent out to watch for the enemy, held in readiness, etc. b a party of sentries. c an outpost. d a camp-guard on police duty in a garrison town etc.
v. (picketed, picketing) 1 a tr. & intr. station or act as a picket. b tr. beset or guard (a factory, workers, etc.) with a picket or pickets. 2 tr. secure (a place) with stakes. 3 tr. tether (an animal). picket line a boundary established by workers on strike, esp. at the entrance to the place of work, which others are asked not to cross. picketer n.
[ F piquet pointed stake f. piquer prick, f. pic PICK(2) ]