wildcatter

American  

[wahyld-kat-er] / ˈwaɪldˌkæt ər /

noun

1. an oil prospector.

2. a person who promotes risky or unsound business ventures.

3. a person who participates in a wildcat strike.

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Etymology

Origin of wildcatter

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

Example Sentences

Presidio differs from most small-cap energy companies, which tend to have a wildcatter mentality—drill somewhere new and try to hit the big one.

From Barron's

Presidio differs from most small-cap energy companies, which tend to have a wildcatter mentality—drill somewhere new and try to hit the big one.

From Barron's

To get ahead in the next cycle, they may need to bring back some of that wildcatter spirit.

From The Wall Street Journal

While Exxon Mobil balked at the idea of returning to a country that twice nationalized its assets, the oil-field service firms that work with national oil companies and Texas wildcatters alike are raring to go.

From The Wall Street Journal

Such companies are the early movers in the oil patch, working for Texas wildcatters and national oil companies alike.

From The Wall Street Journal