What does wickered mean?
Wickered means made from, woven with, or covered in wicker, the traditional material made from interlaced twigs or withies. It can function as a descriptive adjective, as in “a wickered basket,” and as the past tense or past participle of the verb “wicker,” meaning to weave or construct something with such material. The word has an old-fashioned, handcrafted quality: it evokes baskets, chairs, fencing, or huts fashioned branch by branch rather than produced by an industrial process. In ordinary modern usage, though, “wicker” itself is usually preferred for the material and for objects made from it, while “wickered” is less common and may sound literary, historical, or deliberately descriptive. As a verb form, it occurs naturally in accounts of basket making and other traditional crafts. Recognising both roles preserves the distinction between the material, wicker, and an action or result involving that material, wickered.
Made of, woven from, or covered with wicker.
"A wickered screen sheltered the porch from the afternoon sun."
Relatively uncommon and more literary or descriptive than the more usual modifier “wicker.”
To weave or make something using wicker.
"The craftswoman wickered a low basket from strips of willow."
The past tense and past participle of the verb “wicker.”
Wickered is where weaving gets its human touch: branches become baskets, chairs, and whole walls.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wickered
The word descends from Middle English “wiker,” meaning wickerwork or woven twigs, a form commonly traced to Old Norse víkr, “bay” or “branch.” English developed “wicker” as a noun for the material and as a modifier meaning made of such twigs. “Wickered” was formed with the -ed participial suffix, allowing it to describe something made or covered with wicker and to serve as the past tense and past participle of the verb “to wicker.”
How wickered is actually used
Wickered is relatively uncommon and may sound literary, historical, or deliberately descriptive. In modern usage, “wicker” is usually preferred for the material and for objects made from it.
Easily confused with wickered
Wicker names the material or an object made from woven twigs, whereas wickered functions chiefly as a participial adjective and can also be the past form of the verb “wicker.”