wildcat
noun
any of several North American felines of the genus Lynx.
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We didn't know it was wildcatting until after he had tried to repair it.
From Stand by for Mars! by Louis Glanzman