1. (

• wildcat_well ,
• wildcat

) an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field ;

2. (

• beast ,
• wolf ,
• savage ,
• brute ,
• wildcat

) a cruelly rapacious person ;

3. (

• wildcat

) any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild ;

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" ;

2. (

• unauthorized ,
• unauthorised ,
• wildcat

) without official authorization; "an unauthorized strike"; "wildcat work stoppage" ;

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" ;