ˈlʊkaʊt ˈpɪkɪt ˈpɪkɪt pɪˈkɛt ˈsɛntɪnəl ˈsɛntɹi ˈspɒt.ə ˈspɑ.tɚ 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 fasten with a picket picket the goat serve as pickets or post pickets picket a business to protest the layoffs a wooden strip forming part of a fence a vehicle performing sentinel duty a detachment of troops guarding an army from surprise attack a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event a protester posted by a labor organization outside a place of work