wildcat
Americannoun
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any of several North American felines of the genus Lynx.
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a yellowish-gray, black-striped feline, Felis sylvestris, of Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, resembling and closely related to the domestic cat, with which it interbreeds freely.
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a closely related feline, Felis sylvestris libyca, of northern Africa, believed to be the ancestor of the domestic cat.
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any of several other of the smaller felines, as the serval or ocelot.
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a domestic cat that has become feral.
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a quick-tempered or savage person.
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Railroads. a single locomotive operating without a train, as one switching cars.
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an exploratory well drilled in an effort to discover deposits of oil or gas; a prospect well.
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a reckless or unsound enterprise, business, etc.
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Informal. wildcatter.
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Nautical. a shaped drum on a windlass, engaging with the links of an anchor chain.
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Informal. wildcat strike.
adjective
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characterized by or proceeding from reckless or unsafe business methods.
wildcat companies; wildcat stocks.
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of or relating to an illicit enterprise or product.
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running without control or regulation, as a locomotive, or apart from the regular schedule, as a train.
verb (used without object)
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to search an area of unknown or doubtful productivity for oil, ore, or the like, especially as an independent prospector.
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Slang. to engage in a wildcat strike.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a wild European cat, Felis silvestris, that resembles the domestic tabby but is larger and has a bushy tail
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any of various other felines, esp of the genus Lynx, such as the lynx and the caracal
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another name for bobcat
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informal a savage or aggressive person
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an exploratory drilling for petroleum or natural gas
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an unsound commercial enterprise
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Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): light engine. a railway locomotive in motion without drawing any carriages or wagons
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(modifier)
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of or relating to an unsound business enterprise
wildcat stock
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financially or commercially unsound
a wildcat project
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(modifier) (of a train) running without permission or outside the timetable
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wildcatsimple
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wildcatssimple
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have wildcattedperfect
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has wildcattedperfect
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am wildcattingprogressive
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are wildcattingprogressive
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is wildcattingprogressive
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have been wildcattingperfect progressive
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has been wildcattingperfect progressive
Past
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wildcattedsimple
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had wildcattedperfect
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was wildcattingprogressive
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were wildcattingprogressive
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had been wildcattingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wildcat
1375–1425; late Middle English wilde cat; compare Middle Low German wildkatte
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.
Nineteenth-century wildcat notes circulated in an era when collateral requirements, where they existed at all, were routinely evaded and unenforceable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
This is pushing wildcat miners into relatively untouched areas like Bau.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Word spread that a new band was throwing wildcat ragers in the ugliest parts of town.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
There are various types of flips that have unique names that don't spell out exactly what the trick contains - including wildcat, tamedog, backflip, frontflip, rodeo, backside rodeo and corked spin.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
A master showman, he urged bidders on with folksy sayings like “Come on boys, this old wildcat is liable to have a mess of kittens.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
