1. Any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild
   "We spotted a wildcat prowling through the underbrush"
    
2. An exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field
   "The company took a risk by drilling a wildcat well in the remote area";
   - wildcat well
    
3. [informal] A cruelly rapacious person
   "The wildcat businessman was known for hostile takeovers";
   - beast, wolf, savage, brute

1. (of a mine or oil well) drilled speculatively in an area not known to be productive
   "wildcat drilling"; "wildcat wells"; "drilling there would be strictly a wildcat operation"; "a wildcat mine"
    
2. Outside the bounds of legitimate or ethical business practices
   "a wildcat airline"; "wildcat life insurance schemes"; "wildcat currency issued by irresponsible banks"; "wildcat stock speculation"
    
3. Without official authorization
   "wildcat work stoppage";
   - unauthorized, unauthorised [Brit]

1. Prospect for oil in an area where no oil has been found before
   "The company decided to wildcat in the unexplored region"

Derived forms: wildcats, wildcatting, wildcatted

See also: explorative, exploratory, unofficial, unsound

Type of: aggressor, assailant, assailer, assaulter, attacker, cat, oil well, oiler, true cat

Part of: Felis, genus Felis

Encyclopedia: Wildcat, West Virginia