wildcat

A "wildcat" can first mean a small wild feline, especially one related to the wild ancestors of the house cat. In careful use, the word often points to the European, African, or Asian wildcat, though in looser everyday English it may also be used for other wild cats.

It is also common in labor and business English. A "wildcat strike" is a strike that workers start without official union approval. In oil and gas, a "wildcat" project or well is a risky attempt to find resources in an area that has not been proved yet. Across these uses, the word often carries the idea of something uncontrolled, unofficial, or speculative.

The word "wildcat" began with the animal sense. It refers to a small wild feline, especially the true wildcats of Europe, Africa, and Asia that are closely related to the ancestors of domestic cats. These animals are usually described as tough, solitary hunters. In less exact everyday speech, people sometimes stretch the word to other wild felines as well, but the stricter meaning is narrower than simply "any cat in the wild."

From there, the word developed important figurative uses. In labor language, a "wildcat strike" is a strike begun by workers without official union approval. This is one of the most common modern uses of the word outside the animal sense. More broadly, as an adjective, "wildcat" can describe something unauthorized, uncontrolled, or outside normal rules.

The word also appears in business and economic history. In oil and gas, "wildcatting" means drilling in an unproven area, and a "wildcat well" is a speculative well with a real chance of failure. In American history, "wildcat banking" referred to poorly regulated banking ventures, especially ones seen as risky or unreliable. So the word can point to a real animal, an unofficial labor action, or a bold and uncertain business venture, depending on the context.