wildcat

American  

[wahyld-kat] / ˈwaɪldˌkæt /

noun

plural

wildcats,

plural

wildcat

1. any of several North American felines of the genus Lynx.

2. a yellowish-gray, black-striped feline, Felis sylvestris, of Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, resembling and closely related to the domestic cat, with which it interbreeds freely.

3. a closely related feline, Felis sylvestris libyca, of northern Africa, believed to be the ancestor of the domestic cat.

4. any of several other of the smaller felines, as the serval or ocelot.

5. a domestic cat that has become feral.

6. a quick-tempered or savage person.

7. Railroads. a single locomotive operating without a train, as one switching cars.

8. an exploratory well drilled in an effort to discover deposits of oil or gas; a prospect well.

9. a reckless or unsound enterprise, business, etc.

10. Informal. wildcatter.

11. Nautical. a shaped drum on a windlass, engaging with the links of an anchor chain.

12. Informal. wildcat strike.

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adjective

1. characterized by or proceeding from reckless or unsafe business methods.

   wildcat companies; wildcat stocks.

2. of or relating to an illicit enterprise or product.

3. running without control or regulation, as a locomotive, or apart from the regular schedule, as a train.

verb (used without object)

wildcatted, wildcatting

1. to search an area of unknown or doubtful productivity for oil, ore, or the like, especially as an independent prospector.

2. Slang. to engage in a wildcat strike.

verb (used with object)

wildcatted, wildcatting

1. to search (an area of unknown or doubtful productivity) for oil, ore, or the like.

wildcat British  

/ ˈwaɪldˌkæt /

noun

1. a wild European cat, Felis silvestris, that resembles the domestic tabby but is larger and has a bushy tail

2. any of various other felines, esp of the genus Lynx, such as the lynx and the caracal

3. another name for bobcat

4. informal a savage or aggressive person

5. an exploratory drilling for petroleum or natural gas

6. an unsound commercial enterprise

7. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): light engine.  a railway locomotive in motion without drawing any carriages or wagons

8. (modifier)

   1. of or relating to an unsound business enterprise

      wildcat stock

   2. financially or commercially unsound

      a wildcat project

9. (modifier) (of a train) running without permission or outside the timetable

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verb

1. (intr) to drill for petroleum or natural gas in an area having no known reserves

Other Word Forms

• wildcatting noun

Etymology

Origin of wildcat

1375–1425; late Middle English wilde cat; compare Middle Low German wildkatte

Example Sentences

To better understand how evolution shaped these sounds, the researchers compared domestic cat meows with those of five wild cat species: African wildcat, European wildcat, jungle cat, cheetah, and cougar.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

All modern cats are descended from the same species - the African wildcat.

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025

But he said there were concerns about the ability to sustain a "genetically pure" population of wildcat because of the threat of hybridisation.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2025

Critics say that infrastructure built for industrial mines—such as access roads, ports and power lines—inevitably attracts illegal loggers, ranchers and wildcat miners deeper into the jungle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

They wore feathered caps banded with wildcat fur and smoked long pipes as they dozed in the heat.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer