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wildcat
(waɪldkæt)
Word forms: plural wildcats
1. countable noun
A wildcat is a cat which is very fierce and lives especially in mountains and forests.
A giant wildcat is being hunted after 58 lambs were butchered.
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A wildcat strike happens suddenly, as a result of a decision by a group of workers, and is not officially approved by a trade union.
Frustration, anger and desperation have led to a series of wildcat strikes.
...wildcat stoppages on public transport.
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A wildcat scheme, project, or business is risky and likely to fail, usually because there has not been enough planning.
It was a wildcat plan by some of our members.
wildcat in British English
(ˈwaɪldˌkæt)
nounWord forms: plural -cats or -cat
1.
a wild European cat, Felis silvestris, that resembles the domestic tabby but is larger and has a bushy tail
2.
any of various other felines, esp of the genus Lynx, such as the lynx and the caracal
3. US and Canadian another name for bobcat
4. informal
a savage or aggressive person
5.
an exploratory drilling for petroleum or natural gas
6. US and Canadian
an unsound commercial enterprise
7. US and Canadian
a railway locomotive in motion without drawing any carriages or wagons
Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): light engine 8. (modifier) US and Canadian
a.
of or relating to an unsound business enterprise
wildcat stock
b.
financially or commercially unsound
a wildcat project
9. (modifier) US and Canadian
(of a train) running without permission or outside the timetable
verbWord forms: -cats, -catting or -catted
10. (intransitive)
to drill for petroleum or natural gas in an area having no known reserves
Derived forms
wildcatting (ˈwildˌcatting) noun, adjective
wildcat in American English
(ˈwaɪldˌkæt)
nounWord forms: plural ˈwildˌcats or ˈwildˌcat
1.
a.
any of a large group of fierce, medium-sized, undomesticated cats, including the bobcat, Canada lynx, ocelot, serval, and caracal
b.
a house cat that has escaped from domestication
: in this sense, usually written wild cat2.
any person regarded as like a wildcat in fierceness, aggressiveness, etc.
3. US
an unsound or risky business scheme
4. US
an oil well drilled in an area not previously known to have oil
5. Nautical
a drum on a windlass, constructed to engage the links of a chain cable
adjective
6. US
unsound or financially risky
a wildcat venture
7. US
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
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈwildˌcatted or ˈwildˌcatting US
8.
to drill for oil in an area previously considered unproductive
9.
to engage in wildcat enterprises, etc.
Derived forms
wildcatter (ˈwildˌcatter) US noun
wildcat in the Oil and Gas Industry 1
(waɪldkæt)
Word forms: (regular plural) wildcats
noun
(Extractive engineering: Exploration)
A wildcat is a well that is drilled to search for oil or gas.
Exploration drilling essentially involves the drilling of wildcats in areas where oil has not yet been discovered.
Wildcats are the wells sunk when looking for oil trapped in reservoirs.
A wildcat is a well that is drilled to search for oil or gas.
wildcat in the Oil and Gas Industry 2
(waɪldkæt)
Word forms: (present) wildcats, (past) wildcatted, (perfect) wildcatted, (progressive) wildcatting
verb
(Extractive engineering: Exploration)
wildcatterTo wildcat is to drill for oil or gas in an area which is not known to have any reserves.
Three years ago, the company wildcatted in the Monroe Swell area but discovered nothing.
Independent oil producers played a very useful apart in the search for oil; theywildcatted in areas where the major companies wouldn't risk an investment.
To wildcat is to drill for oil or gas in an area which is not known to have any reserves.
Image ofwildcat
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Examples of 'wildcat' in a sentencewildcat
- postmortem examination
- postnasal
- postnasal drip
- postnatal
- postnatal depression
- postnatally
- postnatal ward
- postnati
- postneonatal
- postnet
- "post no bills"
- postnuptial
- post-obit
- post-obit bond
- postocular
- post office
- post-office
- post office box
- post-office-box
- post-op
- postop
- postoperative
- postoperatively
- postoral
- postorbital