croquet

American  

[kroh-kay, kroh-kay, -kee] / kroʊˈkeɪ, ˈkroʊ keɪ, -ki /

noun

1. a game played by knocking wooden balls through metal wickets with mallets.

2. (in croquet) the act of driving away an opponent's ball by striking one's own when the two are in contact.

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verb (used with object)

• croquets,
  present (3rd person singular)
• croqueted,
  past participle,  past
• croqueting
  present participle

1. to drive away (a ball) by a croquet.

croquet British  

/ ˈkrəʊkeɪ, -kɪ /

noun

1. a game for two to four players who hit a wooden ball through iron hoops with mallets in order to hit a peg

2. the act of croqueting

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verb

1. to drive away (another player's ball) by hitting one's own ball when the two are in contact

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• croqueting
  present
• croqueted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• croquet
  simple
• croquets
  simple
• have croqueted
  perfect
• has croqueted
  perfect
• am croqueting
  progressive
• are croqueting
  progressive
• is croqueting
  progressive
• have been croqueting
  perfect progressive
• has been croqueting
  perfect progressive

Past

• croqueted
  simple
• had croqueted
  perfect
• was croqueting
  progressive
• were croqueting
  progressive
• had been croqueting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will croquet
  simple
• will have croqueted
  perfect
• will be croqueting
  progressive
• will have been croqueting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of croquet

1855–60; < French (dial.): hockey stick, literally, little hook; see crocket

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Explanation

Croquet (rhymes with “okay”) is a lawn game played by whacking a wooden ball with a mallet. It was all the rage in Europe in the 1800s, but people still play it worldwide, often at summer parties. When you play croquet, you have a colored wooden ball and a matching mallet. Players take turns trying to hit their balls under a series of hoops or to knock someone else’s out of the way. When Alice is in Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts uses a flamingo as a mallet and a hedgehog for a ball, but that is not recommended. In Northern French dialect, croquet means "hockey stick," originally "shepherd's crook" in Old North French.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

croquet croquets croqueted croqueting

Members dressed in white could be seen playing croquet on the lawn overlooking Biscayne Bay that day, attendees said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Eighteenth century activities included croquet and designing a custom perfume, all accompanied by fashion photography.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

The house is surrounded by 25 acres of grounds featuring cottages, a large greenhouse, walled garden, follies, a fountain and a croquet lawn.

From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2023

It turned out the guests who rented the waterfront home weren’t just playing croquet, they were holding a tournament that ended shortly after sunset, but the celebration continued.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2023

“Bless her heart! She pities him, so she is good to him,” said Jo, beaming at her from the croquet ground.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Greenspan calls the dough for croquets — little more than egg whites and nuts — a “misbehaver,” but mine was, strangely, not.

From Washington Post

We sent out free goat cheese croquets with fresh fig jam to every person who came in to eat.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

Place upon it, two inches from the edge, minced fowl or game, prepared as for croquets, and rolled up between two teaspoons in balls the size of a nutmeg.

From Dressed Game and Poultry à la Mode by Harriet A. de Salis

If he roquets a friend, he croquets his ball into better position, or perhaps through its proper bridge.

From Croquet As played by the Newport Croquet Club by Anonymous

If he roquets an enemy's ball, he croquets it, if he wishes, into a disadvantageous position.

From Croquet As played by the Newport Croquet Club by Anonymous

England wing Abby Dow and her star-struck Spanish opposite number Claudia Perez exchanging a croqueted keyring, a hand-drawn portrait and shirts, external after their match last month was an irresistible example.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025

If a croqueted ball is interrupted, the croquet may be repeated.

From Croquet As played by the Newport Croquet Club by Anonymous

Not croqueting is sufficient evidence of declining; but if none are croqueted, and the ball is not moved to the side of any one, the player must declare which he means to decline.

From Croquet As played by the Newport Croquet Club by Anonymous

It was while they were off, apart down the slope, just croqueted away for the time, to come up again with tremendous charge presently, that Harry asked her if she knew the game of "ship-coil."

From We Girls: a Home Story by A. D. T. (Adeline Dutton Train) Whitney

Here the player’s ball proceeds a greater distance than the croqueted ball, but in somewhat the same direction.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 7 "Crocoite" to "Cuba" by Various

“Yankees are a deal the most tricky, everybody knows. There you go!” returned Fred, croqueting her ball far away.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

A ball moved under the foot in croqueting, but not flinching, is accidentally displaced.

From Croquet As played by the Newport Croquet Club by Anonymous

Not croqueting is sufficient evidence of declining; but if none are croqueted, and the ball is not moved to the side of any one, the player must declare which he means to decline.

From Croquet As played by the Newport Croquet Club by Anonymous

Any one of the roquets may be declined and made again after croqueting the other balls in their proper order.

From Croquet As played by the Newport Croquet Club by Anonymous

If it should be in position after croqueting, it may prefer to decline the run and make it again.

From Croquet As played by the Newport Croquet Club by Anonymous

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