wildcat
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wild·cat
(wīld′kăt′)n.
1. Any of various wild felines of small to medium size, including the bobcat and the caracal.
2. A small wild feline (Felis silvestris) of Eurasia and Africa, generally regarded as being the ancestor of the domestic cat.
3.
a. A quick-tempered person.
b. A person regarded as fierce.
4. An oil or natural-gas well drilled in an area not known to be productive.
5. A workers' strike unauthorized by their union.
adj.
1.
a. Risky or unsound, especially financially.
b. Issued by a financially irresponsible bank: wildcat currency.
c. Operating or accomplished outside the norms of standard, ethical business procedures: wildcat life insurance schemes.
2. Of, relating to, or being an oil or natural-gas well drilled speculatively in an area not known to be productive.
3. Undertaken by workers without approval of the officials of their union: a wildcat strike.
v. wild·cat·ted, wild·cat·ting, wild·cats
v.tr.
To prospect for (oil, for example) in an area supposed to be unproductive.
v.intr.
1. To prospect for oil or other minerals in an area not known to be productive.
2. To go out on an unauthorized labor strike.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
wildcat
(ˈwaɪldˌkæt)n, pl -cats or -cat
1. (Animals) a wild European cat, Felis silvestris, that resembles the domestic tabby but is larger and has a bushy tail
2. (Animals) any of various other felines, esp of the genus Lynx, such as the lynx and the caracal
3. (Animals) US and Canadian another name for bobcat
4. informal a savage or aggressive person
5. (Mining & Quarrying) an exploratory drilling for petroleum or natural gas
6. (Commerce) US and Canadian an unsound commercial enterprise
7. (Railways) US and Canadian a railway locomotive in motion without drawing any carriages or wagons. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): light engine
8. (Commerce) (modifier)
a. of or relating to an unsound business enterprise: wildcat stock.
b. financially or commercially unsound: a wildcat project.
9. (Railways) (modifier) US and Canadian (of a train) running without permission or outside the timetable
vb, -cats, -catting or -catted
(Mining & Quarrying) (intr) to drill for petroleum or natural gas in an area having no known reserves
ˈwildˌcatting n, adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
wild•cat
(ˈwaɪldˌkæt)n., pl. -cats, (esp. collectively) -cat for 1-4, n.
1.
a. a small striped Eurasian cat, Felis sylvestris, related to the domestic cat.
b. any of several small- to medium-sized wild cats, as the bobcat or ocelot.
c. a domestic cat that has become feral.
2. a quick-tempered or savage person.
3. a single locomotive operating without a train, as one switching cars.
4. an exploratory well drilled in an effort to discover deposits of oil or gas; a prospect well.
5. a reckless or unsound enterprise, business, etc.
adj. 8. characterized by or proceeding from unsafe business methods: wildcat stocks.
9. of or pertaining to an illicit enterprise or product.
10. running without control or regulation, as a locomotive, or apart from the regular schedule, as a train.
v.i. 11. to search an area for oil, gas, ore, etc., esp. as an independent prospector.
v.t. 12. to search (an area of unknown or doubtful productivity) for oil, ore, or the like.
[1375–1425]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
wildcat
Past participle: wildcatted
Gerund: wildcatting
| Imperative |
|---|
| wildcat |
| wildcat |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | wildcat - an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field |
| 2. |  wildcat - a cruelly rapacious person | |
| 3. | wildcat - any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild Felis, genus Felis - type genus of the Felidae: true cats and most wildcats cat, true cat - feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats sand cat - a desert wildcat catamountain, European wildcat, Felis silvestris - bushy-tailed wildcat of Europe that resembles the domestic cat and is regarded as the ancestor of the domestic cat cougar, Felis concolor, mountain lion, puma, catamount, panther, painter - large American feline resembling a lion Felis pardalis, ocelot, panther cat - nocturnal wildcat of Central America and South America having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat eyra, Felis yagouaroundi, jaguarondi, jaguarundi, jaguarundi cat - long-bodied long-tailed tropical American wildcat Felis chaus, jungle cat - small Asiatic wildcat Felis serval, serval - slender long-legged African wildcat having large untufted ears and tawny black-spotted coat Felis bengalensis, leopard cat - small spotted wildcat of southern Asia and Malaysia Felis tigrina, tiger cat - medium-sized wildcat of Central America and South America having a dark-striped coat | |
| Adj. | 1. | wildcat - outside the bounds of legitimate or ethical business practices; "wildcat currency issued by irresponsible banks"; "wildcat stock speculation"; "a wildcat airline"; "wildcat life insurance schemes" unsound - not sound financially; "unsound banking practices" |
| 2. |  wildcat - without official authorization; "an unauthorized strike"; "wildcat work stoppage"unofficial - not having official authority or sanction; "a sort of unofficial mayor"; "an unofficial estimate"; "he participated in an unofficial capacity" | |
| 3. | wildcat - (of a mine or oil well) drilled speculatively in an area not known to be productive; "drilling there would be strictly a wildcat operation"; "a wildcat mine"; "wildcat drilling"; "wildcat wells" explorative, exploratory - serving in or intended for exploration or discovery; "an exploratory operation"; "exploratory reconnaissance"; "digging an exploratory well in the Gulf of Mexico"; "exploratory talks between diplomats" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
fauveforage d'exploration
wildcat
[ˈwaɪldˈkæt]A. N (wildcats or wildcat (pl))
2. (for oil) → perforación f de sondaje en tierra virgen
B. VI (US) → hacer perforaciones para extraer petróleo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
wildcat
[ˈwaɪldkæt] n → chat m sauvagewildcat strike n → grève f sauvagewild child n (British) → enfant f or m terribleCollins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995