picket fence

American

noun

a fence consisting of pickets or pales nailed to horizontal stringers between upright posts.

picket fence British

noun

a fence consisting of pickets supported at close regular intervals by being driven into the ground, by interlacing with strong wire, or by nailing to horizontal timbers fixed to posts in the ground

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of picket fence

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

picket fence

Owning a house with a white picket fence?

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

As for your question, I’m on both sides of the picket fence; I see why your daughter is upset, and I also understand why you are willing to help your daughter.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

"I want children and the white picket fence with my amazing wife - I just want that normality. This is my gateway to doing it and I can't wait."

From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2026

A picket fence is trim, as are the schoolhouse’s large windows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

Jahrling, his wife, and their three children lived in Thurmont, not far from Nancy and Jerry Jaax, in a brick ranch house with a white picket fence out front.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023