wildcat

Meanings

Noun

• an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field
• a cruelly rapacious person
• any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild

Adjective Satellite

• 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"
• without official authorization
  • "wildcat work stoppage"
• (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"

Synonyms

beast, brute, savage, unauthorised, unauthorized, wildcat well, wolf