Meaning of picket In English

• 0 a worker or group of workers who protest outside a building to prevent other workers from going inside, especially because they have a disagreement with their employers:

  • There were pickets outside the factory gates.

  • The union organized a month-long picket.

• 1 to act as or take part in a picket:

  • They picketed the burger restaurant and handed out leaflets to potential customers.

  • He was not surprised when his office was picketed.

• 2 a person or group of people who have a disagreement with a company, usually the one where they work, and who walk around in a line outside the place of business to tell other people not to enter until the problem is solved:

  • Three pickets stood at the factory gate.

• 3 a group of people who stand outside an organization's building holding signs to protest against something. The people who protest are often employees who disagree with the management:

  • The rail union is planning a 150-person picket of the terminal for two days next week.

  • The new government was determined to avoid a return to the old days of industrial action and mass picket lines.

  • Most union members were reluctant to cross the picket line.

  • stand on/walk the picket line We spent two weeks walking the picket line, trying to get better benefits.

  • Workers staged a picket outside the factory gates.

  • Workers picked up their picket signs and began their protest.

• 4 a single person in a picket line:

  • Police escorts were provided for tanker drivers who had experienced intimidation by pickets.

• 5 to show an organization that you are not satisfied with them by standing outside their building and trying to prevent people from entering and doing business with them :

  • The firm's annual general meeting was picketed by union members angry at the decision to cut jobs.

  • The group has decided not to picket until after the talks.