wild·cat
ˈwī(-ə)l(d)-ˌkat 
plural wildcats
1
a
: either of two Old World cats (Felis silvestris or F. lybica) that resemble but are heavier in build than the domestic tabby cat and are 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 Web
Joe Lynch, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2024
For the second half, nearly every play went through the running back, who even lined up for some direct snaps as a wildcat quarterback.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024
Their bassy diva energy sparked gender confusion among the panel, but when that wildcat helmet came off and revealed British icon Seal, the room was stunned.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wildcat 
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Noun
Charli, who previously dominated the stage like a wildcat on the prowl, politely held back while Lorde delivered her confessional verse.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2024
For the second half, nearly every play went through the running back, who even lined up for some direct snaps as a wildcat quarterback.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Forsaken again in the League Championship Series were those wildcat baseball drillers, the Cleveland Guardians and the New York Mets, teams whose followers are prone to proclaiming that the season’s over when the season begins.
—Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024
Their bassy diva energy sparked gender confusion among the panel, but when that wildcat helmet came off and revealed British icon Seal, the room was stunned.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wildcat
Dictionary Entries Near wildcat
Cite this Entry
“Wildcat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildcat. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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