From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Picket \Pick"et\, noun [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.
2. A pointed pale, used in marking fences.
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}.
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]
5. A military punishment, formerly resorted to, in which the offender was forced to stand with one foot on a pointed stake.
6. A game at cards. See {Piquet}.
{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.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Picket \Pick"et\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Picketed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Picketing}.]
1. To fortify with pointed stakes.
2. To inclose or fence with pickets or pales.
3. To tether to, or as to, a picket; as, to picket a horse.
4. To guard, as a camp or road, by an outlying picket.
5. To torture by compelling to stand with one foot on a pointed stake. [Obs.]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Piquet \Pi*quet"\, noun [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}.]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a person employed to watch for something to happen [syn: {lookout}, {lookout man}, {sentinel}, {sentry}, {watch}, {spotter}, {scout}]
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: {pale}]
verb
1: serve as pickets or post pickets; "picket a business to protest the lay-offs"
2: fasten with a picket; "picket the goat"
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
167 Moby Thesaurus words for "picket": Argus, Charley, advance guard, airplane spotter, anchor, armed guard, bank guard, bar, beef, bind, bitch, blockade, boggle, box in, boycott, bridle, bulkhead in, call in question, chain, challenge, coast guard, complain, cordon, cordon sanitaire, cry out against, demonstrate, demonstrate against, demonstrator, demur, dismember, dispute, draw and quarter, enchain, enclose, enter a protest, entrammel, expostulate, fasten, fence, fence in, fetter, fire patrolman, fire warden, fireguard, flying squadron, forward observer, garrison, go on strike, go out, goalie, goalkeeper, goaltender, goon, goon squad, grill, guard, guarder, guardsman, gyve, hamper, handcuff, hedge, hem, hem in, hobble, hog-tie, hold out, holler, hopple, howl, impale, inlying picket, jailer, keelhaul, kick, lash, leash, leg, lock out, lookout, lookout man, make fast, manacle, march, moor, night watchman, object, observer, outguard, outpost, pale, paling, palisade, patrol, patroller, patrolman, peg, peg down, picket line, picketer, picquet, pile, pin down, pinion, post, press objections, protest, protester, put in irons, rack, rail, raise a howl, rally, rear guard, remonstrate, restrain, revolt, rope, roundsman, scout, scruple, secure, security guard, sentinel, sentry, shackle, shank, shut in, shut it down, sit down, sit in, slow down, spile, spotter, squawk, stake, stanchion, state a grievance, straitjacket, strap, strike, striker, strong-arm man, tar and feather, teach in, tether, tie, tie down, tie up, torture, train guard, trammel, upright, van, vanguard, vedette, vertical, walk out, wall, wall in, ward, warder, watch, watcher, watchkeeper, watchman, yell bloody murder
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