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

In their first-Test victory, Australia added 266 runs after the sixth wicket fell in their first innings.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 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

Premier paceman Kagiso Rabada finished with 4-77 while Marco Jansen, whose 5-33 on day four put South Africa in the ascendancy, took the final wicket as Australia were dismissed for 295.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

A kid sits behind the ticket wicket, his face framed by bags of pink and blue cotton candy.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Chasing 288 to win an enthralling contest themselves, Australia lost two wickets in the first over bowled by Kagiso Rabada and never recovered.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

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

He has spoken at length about being better able to run twos – he is one of the best runners between the wickets in the world.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

But the Proteas stuck to their task to take the six wickets needed to win by an innings and 31 runs as the light faded late on the last day.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

If we couldn’t afford a proper cricket ball, we made one out of an old sock stuffed with rubbish; and we drew wickets on the wall in chalk.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai

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