In cricket, a wicket is the target: three wooden sticks (stumps) standing upright in the ground with two small pieces of wood (bails) balanced on top. There is one at each end of the pitch. The bowler throws the ball at it and the batter defends it.

In cricket在板球運動裡 a wicket is the targetwicket是攻擊的目標 three wooden sticks (stumps) standing upright in the ground三根直立插在地上的木棍（stumps，柱子） with two small pieces of wood (bails) balanced on top上面平放著兩片小木片（bails，橫木）。 There is one at each end of the pitch球道兩端各有一組。 The bowler throws the ball at it投手（bowler）朝它投球 and the batter defends it打者（batter）則負責防守它。

From that one object the word grew several linked meanings, and cricket talk moves between them freely.

From that one object the word grew several linked meanings從這一件物品，這個字延伸出好幾個相關的意思 and cricket talk moves between them freely板球術語裡會自由地在這些意思之間切換。

It can mean the dismissal of a batter — "he took three wickets" means he got three batters out. It can mean the strip of ground between the two sets of stumps — "a dry wicket" is about the surface, not the sticks. And a partnership is counted by wickets: "a second-wicket partnership".

It can mean the dismissal of a batter可以指「打者出局」這件事 "he took three wickets" means he got three batters out「he took three wickets」意思是他讓三個打者出局。 It can mean the strip of ground between the two sets of stumps也可以指兩組柱子之間那條地面 "a dry wicket" is about the surface, not the sticks「a dry wicket」指的是場地表面，不是木棍。 And a partnership is counted by wickets而且搭檔關係也是用wicket來計數的 "a second-wicket partnership"例如「a second-wicket partnership」（第二個wicket的搭檔組合）。

Well outside cricket, the word has an older, quite separate life meaning a small door or gate, often one cut into a bigger gate, and in American English a small window where you are served — a ticket wicket, a bank wicket. British English also gives us the idiom "on a sticky wicket", meaning in a difficult position, from the days when rain made the pitch hard to bat on.

Well outside cricket完全跳脫板球之外 the word has an older, quite separate life meaning a small door or gate這個字還有一個更古老、完全不同的意思，指小門或便門 often one cut into a bigger gate通常是開在一扇大門上的小門 and in American English a small window where you are served在美式英語裡也指服務窗口那種小窗 a ticket wicket, a bank wicket例如售票窗口、銀行的服務窗口。 British English also gives us the idiom "on a sticky wicket"英式英語還有一個成語「on a sticky wicket」 meaning in a difficult position意思是「處境困難」 from the days when rain made the pitch hard to bat on來自以前下雨會讓場地變得難以打球的年代。

If your students do not follow cricket, the door meaning is the one they are most likely to actually need.

If your students do not follow cricket如果你的學生不看板球 the door meaning is the one they are most likely to actually need「小門」這個意思才是他們比較用得到的。