early 13c., "small door or gate," from Anglo-French wiket, from Old North French wiket (French guichet) "wicket, wicket gate," probably from Proto-Germanic *wik- (cf. Old Norse vik "nook") related to Old English wican "to give way, yield" (see weak). The notion is of "something that turns." Cricket sense of "set of three sticks defended by the batsman" is recorded from 1733.