wildcatter

noun

wild·cat·ter ˈwī(-ə)l(d)-ˌka-tər

: one that drills wells in the hope of finding oil in territory not known to be an oil field

: one that promotes unsafe and unreliable enterprises

especially : one that sells stocks in such enterprises

: one that designs, builds, or fires wildcat cartridges and firearms

: 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."

Examples of wildcatter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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How oil ‘wildcatters’ ended up in charge of Trump’s energy policy CEO of major U.S. power utility urges Trump to remain in Paris Agreement For More Sustainability Coverage, Click Here. —

Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024 Iowa farmers, cod fishermen in Massachusetts, ranchers in Colorado, and oil wildcatters in Texas depended on an army of clerks at Madison Square. —

Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 Nov. 2024 The Hunt Family Net worth $30 billion Hometown: Houston The Hunt family's fortune originates with oil wildcatter H.L. Hunt. —

Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 27 Feb. 2024 As greedy oil sharks close in, Sarah turns to her family, friends and some Texas wildcatters to maintain control of her oil-rich land, eventually becoming one of the nation’s first female African American millionaires — at 11 years old. —

Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wildcatter