wicket

American  

[wik-it] / ˈwɪk ɪt /

noun

• wickets
  plural

1. a window or opening, often closed by a grating or the like, as in a door, or forming a place of communication in a ticket office, a teller's cage in a bank, etc.

2. Croquet. a hoop or arch.

3. a turnstile in an entrance.

4. a small door or gate, especially one beside, or forming part of, a larger one.

5. a small gate by which a canal lock is emptied.

6. a gate by which a flow of water is regulated, as to a waterwheel.

7. Cricket.

   1. either of the two frameworks, each consisting of three stumps with two bails in grooves across the tops, at which the bowler aims the ball.

   2. the area between these frameworks; the playing field.

   3. one batsman's turn at the wicket.

   4. the period during which two players bat together.

   5. a batsman's innings that is not completed or not begun.

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idioms

1. to be on / have / bat a sticky wicket, to be at or have a disadvantage.

wicket British  

/ ˈwɪkɪt /

noun

1. a small door or gate, esp one that is near to or part of a larger one

2. a small window or opening in a door, esp one fitted with a grating or glass pane, used as a means of communication in a ticket office, bank, etc

3. a small sluicegate, esp one in a canal lock gate or by a water wheel

4. a croquet hoop

5. 1. cricket either of two constructions, placed 22 yards apart, consisting of three pointed stumps stuck parallel in the ground with two wooden bails resting on top, at which the batsman stands

   2. the strip of ground between these

   3. a batsman's turn at batting or the period during which two batsmen bat

      a third-wicket partnership

   4. the act or instance of a batsman being got out

      the bowler took six wickets

6. to act as a wicketkeeper

7. informal in an awkward situation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• half-wicket
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wickets
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of wicket

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English wiket, from Anglo-French; Old French guischet, from Germanic; compare Middle Dutch wiket “wicket,” equivalent to wik- (akin to Old English wīcan “to yield”; see weak) + -et, noun suffix

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Explanation

A wicket is a little gate or door. In sports, wicket can refer to either the hoop you aim for when hitting a croquet ball or the stump you aim for when batting a cricket ball. The very oldest meaning of wicket is "small door or gate," and it's still used this way sometimes, especially when the door is beside or within a larger one. This type of wicket is often found in a very old garden entrance or the door to a grand castle. Since the 17th century, the cricket meaning has become the most common, although North Americans are usually talking about croquet when they mention wickets.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wicket wickets

Australia's celebrations suggested they believe that was the crucial wicket.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Abhishek and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blitzed 133 in seven overs for the first wicket, with their powerplay score of 118 setting a new record for international T20s.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

"It feels like there's a bit of moisture in the wicket so we will have first use of it," he said after putting South Africa into bat.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

But, when England needed inspiration to take the last wicket, they were found wanting.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026

At the churchyard wicket he stopped: he discovered I was quite out of breath.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Ben Duckett's sublime century and four wickets for Liam Dawson earned England a consolation win over Sri Lanka in their final match of the tri-series.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Batters carelessly gifting wickets to Australia... we have been here before.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Instead, Starc took four wickets in six deliveries with the new ball, first prizing out Ryan Rickelton for 42 and Marco Jansen 52.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

The hosts were unable to stop the regular loss of wickets with Babar Azam the highest scorer with 29.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

They were waiting for the wickets to open in the morning to buy tickets for the bull-fight.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

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