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wildcat
wildcat common name of Old World cats ( Felis sylvestris ) of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The wildcat resembles a large domestic tabby cat with a heavy tail; its fur is brownish to gray, with a pattern of light stripes. It can and does interbreed with domestic cats. The five subspecies are the European, Near Eastern, Southern African, Central Asian, and Chinese desert cats. The Near Eastern wildcat ( F. sylvestris lybica ) was apparently domesticated some 10,000 years ago, possibly when the cats began to prey on mice and rats attracted to ancient granaries, and is ancestral to the modern domestic cat. The name wildcat is also applied regionally to a variety of small cats. In North America it is a common name for the bobcat (see lynx ). |
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"wildcat." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "wildcat." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-wildcat.html "wildcat." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-wildcat.html |
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wildcat
wild·cat / ˈwīldˌkat/ • n. 1. a small native Eurasian and African cat (Felis silvestris) that is typically gray with black markings and a bushy tail, noted for its ferocity. Its African race is believed to be the ancestor of the domestic cat. ∎ any of the smaller members of the cat family, esp. the bobcat. ∎ a hot-tempered or ferocious person, typically a woman. 2. an exploratory oil well. • adj. (of a strike) sudden and unofficial: legislation to curb wildcat strikes. ∎ commercially unsound or risky. • v. [intr.] prospect for oil. |
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"wildcat." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "wildcat." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-wildcat.html "wildcat." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-wildcat.html |
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wildcat
wildcat taken as a type of savagery and hot temper, especially in a woman.
From the early 19th century wildcat has been used to designate a person engaging in a risky or unsafe enterprise, or an unsound business undertaking. It was applied specifically to banks in the western US which, before the passing of the National Bank Act of 1863, fraudulently issued notes supported by little or no capital; the use of the name is said to derive from the fact that the notes of a bank in Michigan carried the device of a panther or ‘wild cat’. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "wildcat." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "wildcat." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-wildcat.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "wildcat." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-wildcat.html |
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Wildcat
Wildcat F4F a single-seat single-engine shipboard fighter, the primary airplane used on carriers when the United States entered World War II. It resembled a barrel in shape, but was well-armed and extremely reliable.
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"Wildcat." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Wildcat." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Wildcat.html "Wildcat." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Wildcat.html |
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wildcat
wildcat
•at, bat, brat, cat, chat, cravat, drat, expat, fat, flat, frat, gat, gnat, hat, hereat, high-hat, howzat, lat, mat, matt, matte, Montserrat, Nat, outsat, pat, pit-a-pat, plait, plat, prat, Rabat, rat, rat-tat, Sadat, sat, scat, Sebat, shabbat, shat, skat, slat, spat, splat, sprat, stat, Surat, tat, that, thereat, tit-for-tat, vat, whereat
•fiat • floreat • exeat • caveat
•Croat, Serbo-Croat
•Nanga Parbat • brickbat • dingbat
•combat, wombat
•fruitbat • numbat • acrobat • backchat
•whinchat • chitchat • samizdat
•concordat • Arafat • Jehoshaphat
•butterfat • Kattegat • hard hat
•sun hat • fat cat • hellcat • requiescat
•scaredy-cat • Magnificat • copycat
•pussycat • wildcat • bobcat • tomcat
•Sno-Cat • polecat • muscat • meerkat
•mudflat • cervelat
•doormat, format
•diplomat • laundromat • Zermatt
•Donat • cowpat
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Cite this article
"wildcat." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "wildcat." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-wildcat.html "wildcat." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-wildcat.html |
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