wildcat

Adjective

• (of a mine or oil well) drilled speculatively in an area not known to be productive
  • drilling there would be strictly a wildcat operation
    
  • a wildcat mine
    
  • wildcat drilling
    
  • wildcat wells
    

• without official authorization
  • an unauthorized strike
    
  • wildcat work stoppage
    

• outside the bounds of legitimate or ethical business practices
  • wildcat currency issued by irresponsible banks
    
  • wildcat stock speculation
    
  • a wildcat airline
    
  • wildcat life insurance schemes
    

Noun

• any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild

• a cruelly rapacious person

• an exploratory oil well drilled in land not known to be an oil field

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  unauthorized , unauthorised , beast , wolf , savage , brute , wildcat well