When a bowler is able to dismiss a batsman he is said to have taken his wicket and the bastman has then lost his wicket. The number of wickets taken is the primary measure of a bowler's ability.

The origin of the word is from the standard definition of wicket as a small gate since the original cricket wicket had only two stumps and one bail and looked like a gate.

The word wicket is also used to mean pitch but this is technically incorrect (see laws of cricket).