View source for wildcat

{{also|wild cat}}
==English==
[[File:Felis silvestris Vadmacska.jpg|thumb|250px|A [[European wildcat]] ({{taxfmt|Felis silvestris silvestris|subspecies}})]]
[[File:American wildcat - Audubon.jpeg|thumb|250px|An [[American wildcat]] ({{taxfmt|Lynx rufus|species}}) portrayed by {{w|John Audubon}}]]
{{wikipedia}}
{{wikipedia|bobcat}}
{{wikipedia|wildcat cartridge}}
{{wikipedia|wildcat (disambiguation)}}

===Alternative forms===
* {{l|en|wild-cat}}, {{l|en|wild cat}}

===Etymology===
From {{inh|en|enm|wyld cat}}, {{m|enm|wylde cat}} (in the plural as {{m|enm|wild cattes}}, {{m|enm|wylde catis}}, {{m|enm|wyle cattes}}), equivalent to {{af|en|wild|cat}}. Cognate with {{cog|gml|wiltkatte}}, {{cog|de|Wildkatze}}, {{cog|sv|vildkatt}}.

Its adjectival senses were originally American and derived from the "wildcat banks" of [[Michigan]], following its elevation to statehood in 1837. Two {{nowrap|laws—}}one easing the requirements for establishing a new bank and another occasioned by the Panic of 1837 that removed the need for payment in {{nowrap|[[specie]]—}}led to the creation and collapse of around 50 banks within two years.<ref>Wittmann, Matthew. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20160305134813/http://www.anspocketchange.org/the-wildcat-bank-of-brest/ The Wildcat Bank of Brest]" for ''Pocket Change: The Blog of the American Numismatic Society''. 14 May 2015.</ref><ref>Dunbar, Willis F. &&nbsp;al. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=HqGWEAnByeMC Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State]'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=HqGWEAnByeMC&pg=PA222 pp.&nbsp;222&nbsp;ff.]</ref> The term is apocryphally derived from a wildcat supposedly featured on the currency printed by one of these banks,<ref>''Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary''. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20150608002758/http://machaut.uchicago.edu/?resource=Webster%27s Wild-cat]". G.&nbsp;& C. Merriam Co., 1913.</ref> but more probably derived from the remote locations "where the wildcats roamed" chosen by these banks to avoid oversight and minimize redemption of notes.<ref>Dwyer, Gerald P. Jr. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20150907080558/https://www.frbatlanta.org/-/media/Documents/filelegacydocs/ACFCE.pdf Wildcat Banking, Banking Panics, and Free Banking in the United States]" for ''Economic Review''. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 1996.</ref>

===Pronunciation===
* {{IPA|en|/ˈwaɪldˌkæt/|a=RP}}
* {{IPA|en|/ˈwaɪ.əldˌkæt/|[ˈwaɪ.əlʔˌkæt]|a=GA}}
* {{audio|en|En-us-wildcat.ogg|a=GA}}
* {{hyphenation|en|wild|cat}}

===Noun===
{{en-noun}}

# A [[cat]] that [[live]]s in the [[wilderness]], ''[[specifically]]''
## {{lb|en|UK}} {{taxfmt|Felis silvestris|species}}, a [[common]] [[small]] [[Old World]] [[wild cat]] [[somewhat]] [[larger]] than a [[house cat]].
## {{lb|en|US}} A [[bobcat]] ({{taxfmt|Lynx rufus|species}}) or [[other]] [[similar]] [[New World]] [[species]] of [[lynx]].
## Any [[feral cat]].
## {{lb|en|uncommon}} {{alternative spelling of|en|wild cat}}, any [[undomesticated]] [[felid]], as [[tiger]]s or [[lion]]s.
##* '''2003 April 24''', CNN
##*: Upon checking it out, we found a total of 13 newborn '''wildcats''': nine newborn tigers and two newborn leopards.
# {{lb|en|figurative}} A [[person]] who [[act]]s like a wildcat, {{qualifier|usually}} a [[violent]] and [[easily]]-[[angered]] [[person]] or a [[sexually]] [[vigorous]] [[one]].
#* '''2002 September 26''', ''The Young and the Restless''
#*: Anyone who's man enough to have landed a '''wildcat''' like you had to be quite a guy.
# {{lb|en|American football}} An [[offensive]] [[formation]] with an [[unbalanced]] [[offensive line|line]] and a [[snap]] [[directly]] to the [[running back]] [[rather]] than the [[quarterback]].
# {{lb|en|nautical}} A [[wheel]] that [[can]] be [[adjust]]ed so as to [[revolve]] either with or on the [[shaft]] of a [[capstan]].
# {{lb|en|firearms}} {{clipping of|en|wildcat cartridge|nodot=1}}.
# {{lb|en|uncommon}} {{clipping of|en|wildcat strike|nodot=1}}, a [[strike]] [[undertaken]] without [[authorization]] from the [[relevant]] [[trade union]].
# {{lb|en|obsolete}} {{clipping of|en|wildcat money|nodot=1}}, [[note]]s [[issue]]d by a [[wildcat bank]].

====Synonyms====
* {{sense|Eurasian wildcats}} {{l|en|desert cat}}
* {{sense|American wildcats}} ''See'' '''[[bobcat]]'''
* {{sense|wild house cats}} ''See'' '''[[feral cat]]'''

====Hypernyms====
* {{sense|felines}} ''See'' '''[[cat]]''', '''[[lynx]]''', ''and'' '''[[wild cat]]'''

====Hyponyms====
* {{sense|Eurasian wildcats|proper subspecies}} [[European wildcat]] ({{taxfmt|Felis silvestris silvestris|subspecies}}), [[African wildcat]] (''[[Felis silvestris lybica|F. s. lybica]]''), [[Asiatic wildcat]] ({{taxlink|Felis silvestris ornata|species|F. s. ornata}}), {{vern|Southern African wildcat}} ({{taxlink|Felis silvestris cafra|species|F. s. cafra}}), [[Chinese mountain cat]] ({{taxlink|Felis silvestris bieti|species|F. s. bieti}})
* {{sense|Eurasian wildcats|informal types}} {{vern|Abyssinian wildcat}}, {{vern|Arabian wildcat}}, {{vern|Balearic wildcat}}, {{vern|bay wildcats}}, {{vern|bush wildcats}}, {{vern|Caucasian wildcat}}, {{vern|Corsica wildcat}}, {{vern|Cretan wildcat}}, {{vern|East African wildcat}}, {{vern|forest wildcats}}, {{vern|Hausa wildcat}}, {{vern|Iraqi wildcat}}, {{vern|Kalahari wildcat}}, {{vern|Mid-belt wildcat}}, {{vern|Mongolian wildcat}}, {{vern|Rhodesian wildcat}}, [[Scottish wildcat]], {{vern|steppe wildcats}}, {{vern|Syrian wildcat}}, {{vern|Tristram's wildcat}}, {{vern|Turkestan wildcat}}, {{vern|Ugandan wildcat}}

====Derived terms====
{{der3|en|{{vern|Abyssinian wildcat}}|African wildcat|{{vern|Arabian wildcat}}|{{vern|Asian steppe wildcat}}|Asiatic wildcat|{{vern|Balearic wildcat}}|{{vern|bay wildcat}}|{{vern|bush wildcat}}|{{vern|Caucasian wildcat}}|{{vern|Corsica wildcat}}|{{vern|Cretan wildcat}}|{{vern|East African wildcat}}|European wildcat|{{vern|forest wildcat}}|{{vern|Hausa wildcat}}|{{vern|Iraqi wildcat}}|{{vern|Kalahari wildcat}}|Martelli's wildcat|{{vern|Mid-belt wildcat}}|{{vern|Mongolian wildcat}}|{{vern|Near Eastern wildcat}}|{{vern|Rhodesian wildcat}}|Scottish wildcat|{{vern|Southern African wildcat}}|{{vern|steppe wildcats|Syrian wildcat}}|wildcat sandwich|wildcat well|{{vern|Tristram's wildcat}}|{{vern|Turkestan wildcat}}|{{vern|Ugandan wildcat}}|Highland wildcat}}

====Translations====
{{trans-top|''Felis silvestris''}}
* Afrikaans: {{t|af|wildekat}}
* Apache:
*: Western Apache: {{t|apw|gídí dziłkáʼyú gólííní}}
* Arabic: {{t|ar|ضَيْوَن|m}}
* Assamese: {{t|as|হেপা}}, {{t|as|হাপা}}
* Asturian: {{t+|ast|gatu montés}}, {{t+|ast|gatu algaire}}
* Basque: {{t|eu|basakatu}}
* Bulgarian: {{t|bg|дива котка}}
* Catalan: {{t+|ca|gat salvatge|m}}
* Chinese:
*: Mandarin: {{t+|cmn|斑貓|tr=bānmāo}}, {{t+|cmn|野貓|tr=yěmāo}}, {{t+|cmn|山貓|tr=shānmāo}}
* Czech: {{t|cs|kočka divoká|f}}
* Finnish: {{t+|fi|villikissa}}, {{t+|fi|metsäkissa}}
* French: {{t+|fr|chat sauvage|m}}
* Galician: {{t+|gl|gato montés}}, {{t+|gl|gato bravo|m}}
* German: {{t+|de|Wildkatze|f}}
* Greek: {{t+|el|αγριόγατα|f}}
* Hungarian: {{t+|hu|vadmacska}}
* Irish: {{t|ga|fia-chat|m}}
* Italian: {{t|it|gatto selvatico|m}}
* Japanese: {{t+|ja|ヤマネコ|tr=yamaneko|sc=Jpan}}, {{t+|ja|山猫|tr=やまねこ, yamaneko|sc=Jpan}}
* Latvian: {{t|lv|meža kaķis|m}}
* Northern Sami: {{t|se|vildabussá}}, {{t|se|meahccebussá}}
* Norwegian: {{t|no|villkatt|m}}
* Occitan: {{t|oc|gat salvatge|m}}
* Persian: {{t|fa|گربه‌ی وحشی|tr=gorbe-ye-vahši}}, {{t|fa|گربه بیابانی|tr=gorbe-ye biyâbâni}}
* Polish: {{t+|pl|żbik|m}}
* Portuguese: {{t+|pt|gato-bravo|m}}, {{t|pt|gato-selvagem|m}}, {{t+|pt|gato-montês|m}}
* Quechua: {{t|qu|osgo}}, {{t|qu|oşgo}}
* Russian: {{t|ru|лесна́я ко́шка|f}}, {{t|ru|лесно́й кот|m}}, {{t|ru|ди́кая ко́шка|f}}
* Scottish Gaelic: {{t|gd|cat-fiadhaich}}
* Sogdian: {{t|sog|ܡܫܟܥܢܤܗ|tr=mūškinč}}, {{t|sog|ܡܘܫܟܝܫܤ|tr=mūškišč}}
* Sorbian:
*: Lower Sorbian: {{t|dsb|źiwa kocka|f}}
*: Upper Sorbian: {{t|hsb|dźiwja kóčka|f}}
* Spanish: {{t+|es|gato montés|m}}, {{t|es|gato salvaje|m}}
* Swedish: {{t+|sv|vildkatt|c}}
* Welsh: {{t|cy|cath wyllt|f}}
{{trans-bottom}}

{{trans-see|''Felix rufus''|bobcat}}

{{trans-see|domesticated cat returned to the wild|feral cat}}

{{trans-see|undomesticated cat|wild cat}}

{{trans-top|person who acts like a wildcat}}
* Finnish: {{t+|fi|villikissa}}
* Greek: {{t+|el|αγριόγατα|f|sc=Grek}}
* Hungarian: {{t+|hu|vadmacska}}, {{t+|hu|dög}}
{{trans-bottom}}

{{trans-see|wildcat strike}}

{{checktrans-top}}<!-- Please move any terms referring to Felis silvestris above. Terms referring generically to undomesticated cats should be moved to [[wild cat]] and those referring to Lynx rufus to [[bobcat]].-->
* Albanian: {{t-check|sq|macja e egër}}
* Basque: {{t-check|eu|basakatu}}
* Belarusian: {{t-check|be|кошка лясная|sc=Cyrl}}
* Breton: {{t-check|br|kazh gouez}}
* Danish: {{t+check|da|vildkat}}
* Dutch: {{t+check|nl|wilde kat|f}}, {{t-check|nl|wilde staking}}
* Esperanto: {{t-check|eo|sovaĝa kato}}
* Estonian: {{t-check|et|metskass}}
* Faroese: {{t-check|fo|villkøttur}}
* French: {{t+check|fr|chat sauvage|m}}
* Friulian: {{t-check|fur|gjat salvadi}}
* Galician: {{t+check|gl|gato bravo}}, {{t+check|gl|gato montés}}
* Hopi: {{t-check|hop|toho}}
* Hungarian: {{t+check|hu|vadmacska}}
* Icelandic: {{t+check|is|villiköttur}}, {{t-check|is|skógarköttur}}
* Indonesian: {{t-check|id|kucing liar}}
* Italian: {{t-check|it|gatto selvatico|m}}
* Korean: {{t+check|ko|살쾡이}}
* Ladin: {{t-check|lld|giat salvare}}
* Latvian: {{t-check|lv|karstgalvis?}}
* Lithuanian: {{t-check|lt|miškinė katė}}
* Macedonian: {{t-check|mk|дива мачка}}
* Maltese: {{t-check|mt|qattus salvaġġ}}
* Manx: {{t-check|gv|kayt ny keylley|m}}, {{t-check|gv|kayt oaldey|m}}
* Maricopa: {{t-check|mrc|mipukwimisish}}
* Norwegian: {{t-check|no|villkatt}}, {{t-check|no|skogkatt}}
* O'odham: {{t-check|ood|mawith}}
* Romani: {{t-check|rom|divlio-murtano|m}}, {{t-check|rom|divlio-mutsa|f}}
* Romanian: {{t+check|ro|pisică sălbatică}}
* Romansch: {{t-check|rm|giat selvadi}}
* Sardinian: {{t-check|sc|gattu areste}}, {{t-check|sc|gattu aresti}}, {{t-check|sc|battu areste}}
* Serbo-Croatian: {{t-check|sh|дивља мачка|sc=Cyrl}}, {{t-check|sh|divlja mačka}}
* Slovak: {{t-check|sk|mačka divá}}
* Slovene: {{t+check|sl|divja mačka}}
* Spanish: {{t+check|es|gato montés|m}}, {{t-check|es|gato silvestre|m}}
* Swedish: {{t+check|sv|vildkatt|c}}
* Turkish: {{t+check|tr|yaban kedisi}}
* Ukrainian: {{t-check|uk|кіт лісовий}}
* Volapük: {{qualifier|male or female}} {{t-check|vo|natädakat}}, {{qualifier|male}} {{t-check|vo|natädahikat}}, {{qualifier|female}} {{t-check|vo|natädajikat}}
* West Frisian: {{t-check|fy|wylde kat}}
* Wolof: {{t+check|wo|siiru|alt=siiru si}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===Adjective===
{{en-adj|-}}

# {{lb|en|usually|_|pejorative}} Of or [[concerning]] [[business]]es [[operating]] outside [[standard]] or [[legitimate]] [[practice]], especially:
#* {{quote-book|en|year=1946|author=Sigurd Jay Simonsen|title=The Mongrels|passage=Then the development of the home country was neglected for some '''wildcat''' idea of bringing up the backward people of other lands.}}
#* {{RQ:Pynchon Crying of Lot 49|year=1976|page=44|passage={{...|The Courier's Tragedy was being put on by a San Narciso group known as the Tank Players,}} the Tank being a small arena theatre located out between a traffic analysis firm and a '''wildcat''' transistor outfit that hadn't been there last year and wouldn't be this coming but meanwhile was underselling even the Japanese and hauling in loot by the steamshovelful.}}
## {{lb|en|pejorative|dated}} Of or [[concerning]] [[irresponsible]] [[bank]]s or [[banking]], {{qualifier|particularly}} [[small]], [[independent]] [[operation]]s.
## {{lb|en|oil industry}} Of or [[concerning]] [[oil]] [[exploration]] in [[new]] [[area]]s, {{qualifier|particularly}} [[small]], [[independent]] [[operation]]s.
## Of or [[concerning]] [[action]]s [[undertaken]] by [[worker]]s without [[approval]] or in [[defiance]] of the [[formal]] [[leadership]] of their [[trade union]]s.
# {{lb|en|firearms}} Of or [[concerning]] [[customize]]d or [[hand-made]] [[cartridge]]s.
# [[unauthorized|Unauthorized]] by the [[proper]] [[authorities]].
#* '''2003 June 15''', CNN
#*: Jewish settlers have also been active putting up five new '''wildcat''' outposts on hilltops in the West Bank to try to thwart their Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

====Derived terms====
* {{l|en|wildcat bank}}, {{l|en|wildcat banking}}, wildcat [[note]], wildcat [[money]], wildcat [[currency]]
* {{l|en|wildcat strike}}

====Translations====
{{trans-top|relating to oil exploration}}
{{trans-bottom}}

{{trans-top|unauthorized by the proper authorities}}
* Finnish: {{t+|fi|villi}}, {{t+|fi|luvaton}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===Verb===
{{en-verb|++}}

# {{lb|en|oil industry}} To [[drill]] for [[oil]] in an area where no oil has been found before.
#: {{ux|en|You'd have to be very rich or very desperate to go '''wildcatting''' that far east.}}
#* {{quote-web|en|url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/aug/30/how-the-us-fracking-boom-almost-fell-apart|title=How America's ‘most reckless’ billionaire created the fracking boom|date=2018-08-30|author=Bethany McLean|work=The Guardian|passage=His pitch was that fracking had transformed the production of gas from a hit-or-miss proposition to one that operated with an on and off switch. It was manufacturing, not '''wildcatting'''.}}

====Derived terms====
* {{l|en|wildcatter}}
* {{l|sco|wilkies}}

===See also===
* {{pedia|Wildcat formation}}
* {{sense|Eurasian wildcat}} {{l|en|Martelli's wildcat}} ({{taxlink|Felis lunensis|species|F. lunensis}}), [[sand cat]], [[jungle cat]], [[black-footed cat]]
* {{sense|American wildcat}} ''See'' '''[[bobcat]]''' ''and'' '''[[lynx]]'''

===References===
<references />

===Anagrams===
* {{anagrams|en|a=acdiltw|clitwad}}

{{C|en|Felids|People}}
{{cln|en|adjective-noun compound nouns}}