Piquet (Noun)
Meaning 1
A form of military punishment used by the British in the late 17th century in which a soldier was forced to stand on one foot on a pointed stake.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The notorious Major Briggs was notorious for his strict enforcement of discipline, including doling out the piquet to anyone who stepped out of line.
- Many historians have condemned the piquet as an example of brutal military excess.
- For years, corporal Thompson carried a visible scar from his bout with the piquet after failing to polish his buttons.
- Gibson narrowly avoided a piquet when he correctly argued that he was on proper drill orders, thus refuting his CO's accusation of error.
- Limping was just the start for Collins after two weeks in piquet under Colonel Tresize.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
A card game for two players using a reduced pack of 32 cards.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The objective of the game is to score points by forming combinations of cards in your hand, with the highest score being a piquet of 30 points.
- A piquet is declared when a player has a hand containing all four aces, all four kings, all four queens, all four jacks, and all four tens.
- The player who declares a piquet scores 30 points for the combination, plus any additional points for other combinations in their hand.
- If a player declares a piquet and their opponent has a higher-scoring combination, the opponent can overcall the piquet and score the points instead.
- A piquet is a rare and exceptional combination, and declaring one is often a strategic decision that requires careful consideration of the cards in your hand.