picket

A person protesting outside a workplace during a strike, or the protest itself.

• Pickets stood outside the factory.
• The union organized a peaceful picket at the gate.
• Drivers refused to cross the picket line.

Similar words: protester, striker

Common phrases: picket line, peaceful picket, join a picket

A narrow piece of wood or metal fixed in the ground, often as part of a fence.

• One picket was broken.
• He hammered a wooden picket into the ground.
• We painted every picket in the garden fence white.

Similar words: stake, pale

Common phrases: picket fence, wooden picket, drive a picket

To stand outside a workplace with other workers to protest during a strike.

• Workers picketed the factory.
• The union plans to picket outside the hospital tomorrow.
• They have been picketing the gates all week.

How to use it: picket something (The workers picketed the factory.); picket outside something (Union members picketed outside the main office.)

Common phrases: picket a factory, picket outside something, picket the gates

To tie an animal to a stake so it cannot wander away.

• We picketed the horses.
• He picketed his pony beside the tent.
• The animals were picketed to wooden stakes overnight.

How to use it: picket something to something (They picketed the horses to stakes near the camp.)

Similar words: tether, tie up

Opposites: untether

Common phrases: picket a horse, picket to something