Definition of "wildcatter" []

• One who is engaged in speculative mining or well drilling in areas not known to be productive. (noun)
• A promoter of speculative or fraudulent business enterprises. (noun)
• A worker who participates in a wildcat strike. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The term "wildcatter" generally refers to a person or company that drills oil wells in areas not known to be oil fields, indicating that many of the companies included in this fund maintain speculative, risky operations."
• "I’ve never been able to figure out whether a wildcatter is a special breed of man… or just a fool."
• "He's a wildcatter, taking over an old mine whose riches are mostly gone."