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
Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
Hang out near the Greenbelt With its offering of water and forest cover, the Greenbelt makes a surprisingly good home for Idaho’s smallest wildcat.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2025
Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Along with more work under center for Prescott in what Schottenheimer has said has his quarterback thinking back to his college days at Mississippi State, the new Cowboys’ play-caller also said that pistol and wildcat formations will be coming to the offense.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wildcat
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Noun
The Dragons unveiled a new offensive wrinkle in the game as starting defensive back Parker Harris — operating out of the wildcat formation — scored on runs of 2 and 4 yards.
—Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
Hang out near the Greenbelt With its offering of water and forest cover, the Greenbelt makes a surprisingly good home for Idaho’s smallest wildcat.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
In Brazil, wildcat gold mining degrades the Amazon rainforest and imperils Indigenous groups.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Along with more work under center for Prescott in what Schottenheimer has said has his quarterback thinking back to his college days at Mississippi State, the new Cowboys’ play-caller also said that pistol and wildcat formations will be coming to the offense.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for wildcat
Cite this Entry
“Wildcat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildcat. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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