wild·cat
ˈwī(-ə)l(d)-ˌkat 
plural wildcats
1
a
: an Old World cat (Felis silvestris) that resembles but is heavier in build than the domestic tabby cat and is usually held to be among the ancestors of the domestic cat
b
or plural wildcat
: any of various small or medium-sized cats (such as the lynx or ocelot)
c
: a feral domestic cat
2
: a savage quick-tempered person
3
a
: wildcat money
b
: a wildcat oil or gas well
c
: a wildcat strike
1
a(1)
: issued by a financially irresponsible banking establishment
wildcat currency
(2)
: financially irresponsible or unreliable
wildcat banks
b
: operating, produced, or carried on outside the bounds of standard or legitimate business practices
wildcat insurance schemes—
H. H. Reichard
H. H. Reichard
c
: of, relating to, or being an oil or gas well drilled in territory not known to be productive
d
: initiated by a group of workers without formal union approval or in violation of a contract
a wildcat strike
wildcat work stoppages
2
a
of a cartridge
: having a bullet of standard caliber but using an expanded case or a case designed for a bullet of greater caliber necked down for the smaller bullet
b
of a firearm
: using wildcat cartridges
wildcatted; wildcatting
: to prospect and drill an experimental oil or gas well or sink a mine shaft in territory not known to be productive
Examples of wildcat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebAlexandra Alter, New York Times, 10 May 2024
As the wildcat industry has flourished, Wood County in north central Wisconsin, population 74,000, was the first local government in the state to act, setting an age limit of 21 two years ago.
—John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Ashley Okwuosa, The Examination | Amy Yurkanin, Al.com, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wildcat 
Noun
It’s called The Lynx, after the wildcat native to the state.
—Alexandra Alter, New York Times, 10 May 2024
As the wildcat industry has flourished, Wood County in north central Wisconsin, population 74,000, was the first local government in the state to act, setting an age limit of 21 two years ago.
—John Diedrich, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Ashley Okwuosa, The Examination | Amy Yurkanin, Al.com, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wildcat
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wildcat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Wildcat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildcat. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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