ETYM From French; cf. Walloon croque blow, fillip. French croquet a crisp biscuit, croquer to crunch, from croc a crackling sound, of imitative origin. Croquet then properly meant a smart tap on the ball.
A game in which players hit a wooden ball through a series of hoops; the winner is the first to traverse all the hoops and hit a peg.
Outdoor game played with mallets and balls on a level hooped lawn measuring 27 m/90 ft by 18 m/60 ft. Played in France in the 16th and 17th centuries, it gained popularity in the US and England in the 1850s.
Two or more players can play, and the object is to drive the balls though the hoops (wickets) in rotation. A player's ball may be advanced or retarded by another ball. The headquarters of croquet is the Croquet Association (founded 1897), based at the Hurlingham Club, London.

1. To drive away by hitting with one's ball, of an opponent's ball.
2. To play croquet.