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Origin and history of picket

picket(n.)

1680s, "pointed post or stake (usually of wood, for defense against cavalry, etc.)," from French piquet "pointed stake," from piquer "to pierce" (see pike (n.1)). Also "one of a number of pointed bars used to make a fence," hence picket-fence (1817). The sense of "troops posted in front of an army to give notice of the approach of the enemy" is recorded from 1761; that of "striking workers stationed to prevent others from entering a factory" is from 1867. Picket-line is by 1856 in the military sense, by 1945 of labor strikes.

picket(v.)

1745, "to enclose or fortify with pointed stakes," from picket (n.). Meaning "to place or post as a guard of observation" is by 1775. The sense in labor strikes, protests, etc., is attested from 1867. Related: Picketed; picketing.

also from 1745

Entries linking to picket

pike(n.1)

"weapon with a long shaft and a pointed metal head," 1510s, from French pique "a spear; pikeman," from piquer "to pick, puncture, pierce," from Old French pic "sharp point or spike," a general continental term (Spanish pica, Italian picca, Provençal piqua), perhaps ultimately from a Germanic [Barnhart] or Celtic source (see pike (n.2)). An alternative explanation traces the Old French word (via Vulgar Latin *piccare "to prick, pierce") to Latin picus "woodpecker." No doubt, too, there is influence from pike (n.1), which by 1200 had a sense of "spiked staff."

"Formerly the chief weapon of a large part of the infantry; in the 18th c. superseded by the bayonet" [OED]; hence old expressions such as pass through pikes "come through difficulties, run the gauntlet;" push of pikes "close-quarters combat." German Pike, Dutch piek, Danish pik, etc. are from French pique.

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    pale
    early 14c., of human skin or complexion, "of a whitish appearance, bloodless, pallid," from Old French paile "pale, light-colored" (12c., Modern French pâle), from Latin pallidus "pale, pallid, wan, colorless," from pallere "be pale, grow pale," from PIE root *pel- (1) "pale." Pa
    piquet
    complicated two-person game played with a 32-card pack, 1640s, from French piquet, picquet (16c.), a name of uncertain origin, as are many card-game names, and it comes trailing the usual cloud of fanciful and absurd speculations. Perhaps it is a diminutive of pic "pick, pickaxe,
    sentinel
    1570s, "a soldier stationed as a guard;" 1580s, "watch or guard kept by a soldier stationed for that purpose;" from French sentinelle (16c.), from Italian sentinella "a sentinel." OED writes that "No convincing etymology of the It. word has been proposed," but perhaps it is (via
    protest
    Because they now fully understood the power of the picket line, they were ready and anxious to march on Washington when A...
    scout
    late 14c., scouten, "observe or explore as a scout, travel in search of information," from Middle English scout-watch "sentinel, guard" (compare scout (n.)) or else Old French escouter "to listen, to heed" (Modern French écouter), from Latin auscultare "to listen to, give heed to
    watch
    Old English wæccan "keep watch, be awake," from Proto-Germanic *wakjan, from PIE root *weg- "to be strong, be lively." Essentially the same word as Old English wacian "be or remain awake" (see wake (v.)); perhaps a Northumbrian form of it. Meaning "be vigilant" is from c. 1200. T
    leap
    c. 1200, from Old English hleapan "to jump, spring clear of the ground by force of an initial bound; run, go; dance, leap upon (a horse)" (class VII strong verb; past tense hleop, past participle hleapen), from Proto-Germanic *hlaupanan (source also of Old Saxon hlopan, Old Norse
    peal
    mid-14c., pele, "a ringing of a bell" especially as a call to church service; generally considered a shortened form of appeal (n.), with the notion of a bell that "summons" people to church (compare similar evolution in peach (v.)). Middle English pele also had the sense of "an a
    plea
    early 13c., ple, "lawsuit, legal conflict," also "strife, contention, complaint," from Anglo-French plai (late 12c.), Old French plait "lawsuit, decision, decree" (9c.), from Medieval Latin placitum, plactum "lawsuit," in classical Latin, "opinion, decree," literally "that which
    fasten
    Old English fæstnian "make fast, make firm, fix, secure," also "ratify, betroth, confirm," from Proto-Germanic *fastinon "to make firm or fast" (source also of Old Frisian festnia "to make firm, bind fast," Old Saxon fastnon, Old High German fastnion, German festnen, Old Norse fa

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