wildcatter

American

[wahyld-kat-er] / ˈwaɪldˌkæt ər /

noun

an oil prospector.
a person who promotes risky or unsound business ventures.
a person who participates in a wildcat strike.

wildcatter British

/ ˈwaɪldˌkætə /

noun

informal a prospector for oil or ores in areas having no proved resources

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wildcatter

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; wildcat + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Then, in 1949, Wildcatter Glenn McCarthy dared to go deeper, brought in a well from between 7,000 ft. and 8,000 ft.

From Time Magazine Archive

Queen Elizabeth, Wildcatter Oil has been discovered underneath the manicured lawns of Windsor Castle, the weekend retreat of the British royal family.

From Time Magazine Archive

But Wildcatter Kerr's one hope of striking the pay zone is Truman's endorsement.

From Time Magazine Archive

Not until lesser-known Wildcatter E. C. Scurlock brought home a deep payload late in 1954 did the Pierce Junction boom begin.

From Time Magazine Archive

Both Texas industry and Wildcatter Glenn McCarthy were born at Spindletop�a gently sloping salt dome near Beaumont, from which gushed the first big flood of dark, heavy Texas oil.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023