wildcatter

[ wahyld-kat-er ]

noun

1. an oil prospector.
2. a person who promotes risky or unsound business ventures.
3. a person who participates in a wildcat strike.

Word History and Origins

Origin of wildcatter¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; wildcat + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Phyllis cut an unusual figure in the world of brash wildcatters.

From ProPublica

Congress left it in place for independent operators like wildcatters, long venerated as a cross between plucky entrepreneurs and cowboys.

From ProPublica