wildcat

wild·cat  (wldkt)

n.

1. Any of various wild felines of small to medium size, especially of the genus Lynx, including the bobcat and the caracal.

2. Either of two small felines (Felis silvestris subsp. silvestris or subsp. lybica) of Europe, Asia, and Africa, often regarded as being the ancestor of the domestic cat.

3.

a. A quick-tempered person.

b. A person regarded as fierce.

4. An oil or natural-gas well drilled in an area not known to be productive.

5. A workers' strike unauthorized by their union.

adj.

1.

a. Risky or unsound, especially financially.

b. Issued by a financially irresponsible bank: wildcat currency.

c. Operating or accomplished outside the norms of standard, ethical business procedures: wildcat life insurance schemes.

2. Of, relating to, or being an oil or natural-gas well drilled speculatively in an area not known to be productive.

3. Undertaken by workers without approval of the officials of their union: a wildcat strike.

v. wild·cat·ted, wild·cat·ting, wild·cats

v.tr.

To prospect for (oil, for example) in an area supposed to be unproductive.

v.intr.

1. To prospect for oil or other minerals in an area not known to be productive.

2. To go out on an unauthorized labor strike.

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wildcat [ˈwaɪldˌkæt]

n pl -cats, -cat

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) a wild European cat, Felis silvestris, that resembles the domestic tabby but is larger and has a bushy tail

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any of various other felines, esp of the genus Lynx, such as the lynx and the caracal

3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) US and Canadian another name for bobcat

4. Informal a savage or aggressive person

5. (Mining & Quarrying) an exploratory drilling for petroleum or natural gas

6. (Business / Commerce) US and Canadian an unsound commercial enterprise

7. (Transport / Railways) the US and Canadian name for light engine

8. (Business / Commerce) (modifier) US and Canadian

a.  of or relating to an unsound business enterprise wildcat stock

b.  financially or commercially unsound a wildcat project

9. (Transport / Railways) (modifier) US and Canadian (of a train) running without permission or outside the timetable

vb -cats, -catting, -catted

(Mining & Quarrying) (intr) to drill for petroleum or natural gas in an area having no known reserves

wildcatting  n & adj

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	wildcat - an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field wildcat well oil well, oiler - a well that yields or has yielded oil
	2.	wildcat - a cruelly rapacious person brute, savage, beast, wolf aggressor, assailant, assaulter, attacker - someone who attacks
	3.	wildcat - any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild Felis, genus Felis - type genus of the Felidae: true cats and most wildcats cat, true cat - feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats sand cat - a desert wildcat catamountain, European wildcat, Felis silvestris - bushy-tailed wildcat of Europe that resembles the domestic cat and is regarded as the ancestor of the domestic cat cougar, Felis concolor, mountain lion, puma, catamount, panther, painter - large American feline resembling a lion Felis pardalis, ocelot, panther cat - nocturnal wildcat of Central America and South America having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat eyra, Felis yagouaroundi, jaguarondi, jaguarundi, jaguarundi cat - long-bodied long-tailed tropical American wildcat caffer cat, Felis ocreata, kaffir cat - widely distributed wildcat of Africa and Asia Minor Felis chaus, jungle cat - small Asiatic wildcat Felis serval, serval - slender long-legged African wildcat having large untufted ears and tawny black-spotted coat Felis bengalensis, leopard cat - small spotted wildcat of southern Asia and Malaysia Felis tigrina, tiger cat - medium-sized wildcat of Central America and South America having a dark-striped coat Felis wiedi, margay, margay cat - small spotted wildcat found from Texas to Brazil Felis manul, manul, Pallas's cat - small wildcat of the mountains of Siberia and Tibet and Mongolia catamount, lynx - short-tailed wildcats with usually tufted ears; valued for their fur
Adj.	1.	wildcat - outside the bounds of legitimate or ethical business practices; "wildcat currency issued by irresponsible banks"; "wildcat stock speculation"; "a wildcat airline"; "wildcat life insurance schemes" unsound - not sound financially; "unsound banking practices"
	2.	wildcat - without official authorization; "an unauthorized strike"; "wildcat work stoppage" unauthorised, unauthorized unofficial - not having official authority or sanction; "a sort of unofficial mayor"; "an unofficial estimate"; "he participated in an unofficial capacity"
	3.	wildcat - (of a mine or oil well) drilled speculatively in an area not known to be productive; "drilling there would be strictly a wildcat operation"; "a wildcat mine"; "wildcat drilling"; "wildcat wells" explorative, exploratory - serving in or intended for exploration or discovery; "an exploratory operation"; "exploratory reconnaissance"; "digging an exploratory well in the Gulf of Mexico"; "exploratory talks between diplomats"

Translations

wildcat [ˈwaɪldˈkæt]

A. N (wildcats or wildcat (pl))

1. (Zool) → gato m montés

2. (for oil) → perforación f de sondaje en tierra virgen

B. VI (US) → hacer perforaciones para extraer petróleo

C. CPD [scheme, venture] → descabellado
wildcat strike N → huelga f salvaje or no autorizada

wildcat [ˈwaɪldkæt] n → chat m sauvage
wildcat strike n → grève f sauvage
wild child n (British) → enfant f or m terrible

wildcat [ˈwaɪldˌkæt] n → gatto/a selvatico/a

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wildcat [ˈwaɪldˌkæt] n → gatto/a selvatico/a