Dictionary

wildcatter en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio Audio (US)
• /ˈwaɪldˌkætə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From wildcat + -er.

Meanings

1. (US) Someone who drills for oil speculatively.
   • One of America's most successful “wildcatters” is poised to explore for oil in Venezuela after agreeing a draft deal with the country's authorities and buying seismic data to gain a head start on rivals. 2026 July 18, Jamie Smyth, “‘Wildcatter’ who cracked Alaska sets sight on Venezuela”, in FT Weekend (Companies & Markets section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 11:
2. A worker who participates in a wildcat strike.
3. A person who makes wildcat cartridges and the guns that use them.
   • Roy Weatherby began his career in the firearms industry as a “wildcatter”, developing his revolutionary ideas about rifle cartridge performance and design. a. 2005, “Ammunition”, in Weatherby, archived from the original on 15 Feb 2005:

Forms