noun
wicket
cricket equipment consisting of a set of three stumps topped by crosspieces; used in playing cricket
Where it comes from
Middle English wicket came from Anglo-French and Old North French wiket, a small door or gate, especially one set into or beside a larger gate. Its deeper Germanic origin is probable rather than certain.
How the meaning developed
Cricket reused the familiar gate word for the defended target of stumps and bails. From that target, wicket spread to the prepared strip, a batter's dismissal or innings, and expressions such as a sticky wicket.
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Sources
Definitions adapted from Open English WordNet where applicable. License and attribution. Word-history text comes from Lexifour’s sourced social research; pages are assembled automatically, not individually fact-checked on every update.
Updated 2026-09-30. Report a correction.