wildcat

American  

[wahyld-kat] / ˈwaɪldˌkæt /

noun

wildcats, plural wildcat plural

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)

wildcats, present (3rd person singular) wildcatted, past participle, past wildcatting present participle

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)

wildcats, present (3rd person singular) wildcatted, past participle, past wildcatting present participle

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

Derived Forms

• wildcatting
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• wildcats
  plural
• wildcat
  plural

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have wildcatted
  perfect
• has wildcatted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am wildcatting
  progressive 1st person singular
• is wildcatting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• wildcatting
  participle
• wildcats
  singular 3rd person
• has been wildcatting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are wildcatting
  progressive
• have been wildcatting
  perfect progressive

Past

• had wildcatted
  perfect
• was wildcatting
  progressive singular
• wildcatted
  participle
• wildcatted
  simple
• were wildcatting
  progressive plural
• had been wildcatting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will wildcat
  simple
• will have wildcatted
  perfect
• will have been wildcatting
  perfect progressive
• will be wildcatting
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of wildcat

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

Example Sentences

Nineteenth-century wildcat notes circulated in an era when collateral requirements, where they existed at all, were routinely evaded and unenforceable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Indigenous chief Bepdjo Mekragnotire is once again preparing to lead a group of warriors to chase wildcat gold miners away from his people's territory in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

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

USC will resolve any red-zone scoring deficiencies by installing freshman Trent Mosley at wildcat quarterback.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 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