: one that drills wells in the hope of finding oil in territory not known to be an oil field
2
: one that promotes unsafe and unreliable enterprises
especially: one that sells stocks in such enterprises
3
: one that designs, builds, or fires wildcat cartridges and firearms
4
: a worker who goes out on a wildcat strike
Did you know?
Messing with a wildcat, such as a lynx, can be a pretty risky undertaking, but ferocious felines played only an indirect role in the development of the word wildcatter. That term has been used in English since the late 19th century, along with the verb "wildcat," which refers to the risky practice of drilling experimental oil wells in territory not known to produce oil. English-speakers associated "wildcat" with risk-taking ventures after a number of U.S. banks fraudulently issued banknotes with little or no capital to back them up. Supposedly, the banknotes issued by one particular bank bore the image of a panther or, as it was known locally, a "wildcat," and it was those risky notes that led to the financial risk-taking senses of "wildcat" and "wildcatter."
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe Nanushuk’s oil potential was announced several years ago by wildcatter Bill Armstrong, after previous exploration drilling by other companies overlooked it. Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Aug. 2022 With a mop of unkempt hair and a penchant for elegant double-breasted suits, Souki didn’t look the part of a Houston wildcatter.New York Times, 6 July 2022 Then there’s Texas wildcatter Trevor Rees-Jones, who built Chief Oil & Gas into a major natural gas producer over the past two decades. Jeff Ernsthausen, ProPublica, 7 Dec. 2021 David Franklin Kennedy, an only child, was born May 31, 1939, in Wichita, Kan., and grew up partly in Oklahoma and Colorado as his father worked as an oil-exploration wildcatter. James R. Hagerty, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2021 David Franklin Kennedy was born on May 31, 1939, in Wichita, Kan., the only child of Melinda Jane (Spoon) Kennedy, a bank administrator, and James Franklin Kennedy, a second-generation wildcatter.New York Times, 15 Oct. 2021 Jones is a wildcatter from way back with a bit of riverboat gambler thrown in for good measure. Michael Gehlken, Dallas News, 21 Sep. 2021 Thompson, the daughter of late Texas wildcatter J. Cleo Thompson, is well-suited to the task. Mary Grace Granados, Dallas News, 27 July 2021 After college, Red worked as a wildcatter for an oil company.San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2021 See More