wildcat

1 of 3

noun

wild·​cat ˈwī(-ə)l(d)-ˌkat How to pronounce wildcat (audio)
plural wildcats
1
a
: an Old World cat (Felis silvestris) that resembles but is heavier in build than the domestic tabby cat and is usually held to be among the ancestors of the domestic cat
b
or plural wildcat : any of various small or medium-sized cats (such as the lynx or ocelot)
c
: a feral domestic cat
2
: a savage quick-tempered person
3
a
: wildcat money
b
: a wildcat oil or gas well
c
: a wildcat strike

wildcat

2 of 3

adjective

1
a(1)
: issued by a financially irresponsible banking establishment
wildcat currency
(2)
: financially irresponsible or unreliable
wildcat banks
b
: operating, produced, or carried on outside the bounds of standard or legitimate business practices
wildcat insurance schemesH. H. Reichard
c
: of, relating to, or being an oil or gas well drilled in territory not known to be productive
d
: initiated by a group of workers without formal union approval or in violation of a contract
a wildcat strike
wildcat work stoppages
2
a
of a cartridge : having a bullet of standard caliber but using an expanded case or a case designed for a bullet of greater caliber necked down for the smaller bullet
b
of a firearm : using wildcat cartridges

wildcat

3 of 3

verb

wildcatted; wildcatting

intransitive verb

: to prospect and drill an experimental oil or gas well or sink a mine shaft in territory not known to be productive

Examples of wildcat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Such a high level of hybridization is driving Scottish wildcats closer to extinction through genetic swamping. Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Only tigers and lions can outgrow the rare wildcats. Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 11 Jan. 2024 But be prepared, if school district employees are singled out for punishment, to fight like wildcats in their defense. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2024 Like house cats, wildcats prey on a variety of small animals, such as rabbits, rodents and birds. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023 Trent Mosely scored from the wildcat formation on the next play to pull the visitors within 21-14. Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023 Two plays later, Colorado State tight end Dallin Holker scored on a 5-yard run out of the wildcat, boosting the Rams’ advantage to 15-0. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Nov. 2023 Now, the future of these felines may lie in programs that release captive wildcats into the Scottish Highlands. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023 Simultaneously, Israeli settlers are establishing wildcat herding outposts at close to record levels, often near Palestinian villages, according to land assessments by Kerem Navot, an independent Israeli watchdog that monitors settlement activity. Gabby Sobelman, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2023
Adjective
The Scottish wildcat population has become a hybrid swarm, with the proportion of domestic cat ancestry ranging between 11% and 74% in all modern wildcat samples. Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 To the family’s surprise, Dad rescues a kitten that turns out to be more wildcat than fluffy companion. Terry Hong, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Oct. 2023 Michigan State football commit Nick Marsh, recruited as a wide receiver, took three wildcat snaps and reached the end zone on the third attempt, from the 4-yard line, with 32 seconds to play. Wright Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 26 Aug. 2023 Deep in the Brazilian Amazon in early February, wildcat miners sped down the Uraricoera River slicing through the Yanomami Indigenous reserve in three motorboats packed with barrels of gasoline and plastic foam boxes of meat. Ana Ionova, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Apr. 2023 Oklahoma is just an off-center place that this wildcat rogueness could be rewarded. Philip Elliott, Time, 29 June 2023 This not only reduces demand for wildcat skins but also preserves one of the Lozi people's most important ceremonial events. Catherine Garcia, The Week, 8 June 2023 Keen to send a clear message from the start, Lula made expelling the wildcat miners from the Yanomami reserve one of his first major acts since taking office on Jan. 1. Ana Ionova, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Apr. 2023 Whereas the ancestors of dogs roamed in packs and learned sophisticated strategies for interacting socially with other animals, the wildcat progenitors of today's house cats were more solitary animals. Julia Calderone, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wildcat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

circa 1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wildcat was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wildcat

Cite this Entry

“Wildcat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildcat. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wildcat

noun
wild·​cat
ˈwī(ə)l(d)-ˌkat
plural wildcats or wildcat
1
: any of various small or medium-sized cats (as the lynx or ocelot)
2
: a savage quick-tempered person

More from Merriam-Webster on wildcat

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