wild cat

noun pl. wildcats or wildcat

1. 1. any of a large group of fierce, medium-sized, undomesticated cats, including the bobcat, Canada lynx, ocelot, serval, and caracal
   2. a house cat that has escaped from domestication
      in this sense, usually written wild cat
2. any person regarded as like a wildcat in fierceness, aggressiveness, etc.
3. ☆ an unsound or risky business scheme
4. ☆ an oil well drilled in an area not previously known to have oil
5. Naut. a drum on a windlass, constructed to engage the links of a chain cable

adjective

1. ☆ unsound or financially risky: a wildcat venture
2. ☆ designating or of an enterprise or undertaking that is illegal, unethical, irregular, unauthorized, etc.; specif., designating a labor strike not officially authorized by the union representing the strikers and in violation of a contract

intransitive verb wildcatted, wildcatting

1. to drill for oil in an area previously considered unproductive
2. to engage in wildcat enterprises, etc.