wildcat

C2 Topic:Animals

US /ˈwaɪ.əldˌkæt/ UK /ˈwaɪldˌkæt/ See IPA manual

Freq #23811

Meanings

1

noun
a small or medium-sized cat that lives in the wild, especially a species resembling the domestic cat

The camera trap captured a wildcat moving silently through the forest.
2

adj
carried out without official authorization or outside established rules

Workers began a wildcat strike before union leaders could approve it.
3

adj
undertaken speculatively in an area not known to contain oil, gas, or minerals

The company drilled a wildcat well far from the proven field.
4

adj
unreliable, risky, or operating outside sound financial practice

Investors lost their savings when the wildcat bank failed.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a small or medium-sized cat... wild cat

2 adj · carried out without... unauthorized unofficial

3 adj · undertaken speculatively in... speculative exploratory

4 adj · unreliable, risky, or... unsound reckless

Opposites

domestic catauthorized regulated

Word family

Forms wildcats

Derived forms wildcatterwildcatting

Related forms bobcatwildcat strikewildcat well

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

wildcat strike
a work stoppage begun by employees without their union's official approval

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English wild cat, literally a cat living outside domestication. American figurative senses grew from the animal's untamed character, especially in nineteenth-century wildcat banking and later in speculative drilling and unauthorized labor action.

Topics

Animals

External links

# wildcat

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈwaɪ.əldˌkæt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwaɪldˌkæt/
**Frequency rank:** 23811

## Meanings
1. a small or medium-sized cat that lives in the wild, especially a species resembling the domestic cat
2. carried out without official authorization or outside established rules
3. undertaken speculatively in an area not known to contain oil, gas, or minerals
4. unreliable, risky, or operating outside sound financial practice

## Examples
- The camera trap captured a wildcat moving silently through the forest.
- Workers began a wildcat strike before union leaders could approve it.
- The company drilled a wildcat well far from the proven field.
- Investors lost their savings when the wildcat bank failed.

## Synonyms
- wild cat
- unauthorized
- speculative

## Antonyms
- domestic cat
- authorized
- regulated

## Derived Forms
- wildcatter
- wildcatting

## Related Forms
- bobcat
- wildcat strike
- wildcat well

## Etymology
From Middle English wild cat, literally a cat living outside domestication. American figurative senses grew from the animal's untamed character, especially in nineteenth-century wildcat banking and later in speculative drilling and unauthorized labor action.

## Topics
- Animals

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