Word
wildcat
Phoneticswild·cat, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈwaɪɫdˌkæt/
UK/wˈaɪldkæt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a small, fierce animal that looks like a house cat but lives in nature. It can also describe a person who is very angry or a business project that is risky and unplanned.
n. a small, undomesticated feline species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, known for its solitary and aggressive nature. Often used metaphorically to describe a quick-tempered person or an unauthorised, sudden industrial action.
Examples
“The wildcat hid in the tall grass to hunt.”
“The factory workers started a wildcat strike without the approval of their union leaders.”
“While the domestic cat is a common pet, its ancestor, the European wildcat, remains a reclusive predator that avoids human contact and maintains a strictly carnivorous diet.”
Examples
simple
“The wildcat hid in the tall grass to hunt.”
contextual
“The factory workers started a wildcat strike without the approval of their union leaders.”
complex
“While the domestic cat is a common pet, its ancestor, the European wildcat, remains a reclusive predator that avoids human contact and maintains a strictly carnivorous diet.”
Usage
Often used as a modifier before another noun, such as in 'wildcat strike' or 'wildcat well'.
Etymology
From Middle English wyld cat, wylde cat (in the plural as wild cattes, wylde catis, wyle cattes), equivalent to wild + cat. Cognate with Middle Low German wiltkatte, German Wildkatze, Swedish vildkatt. Its adjectival senses were originally American and derived from the "wildcat banks" of Michigan, following its elevation to statehood in 1837. Two 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 specie—led to the creation and collapse of around 50 banks within two years. The term is apocryphally derived from a wildcat supposedly featured on the currency printed by one of these banks, but more probably derived from the remote locations "where the wildcats roamed" chosen by these banks to avoid oversight and minimize redemption of notes.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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