Adjacent Words

Wild cat definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

To run wild, to go unrestrained or untamed; to live or untamed; to live or grow without culture or training. To sow one's wild oats. See under Oat. Wild allspice. (Bot.), spicewood. Wild balsam apple (Bot.), an American climbing cucurbitaceous plant (Echinocystis lobata). Wild basil (Bot.), a fragrant labiate herb (Calamintha Clinopodium) common in Europe and America. Wild bean (Bot.), a name of several leguminous plants, mostly species of Phaseolus and Apios. Wild bee (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of undomesticated social bees, especially the domestic bee when it has escaped from domestication and built its nest in a hollow tree or among rocks. Wild bergamot. (Bot.) See under Bergamot. Wild boar (Zo["o]l.), the European wild hog (Sus scrofa), from which the common domesticated swine is descended. Wild brier (Bot.), any uncultivated species of brier. See Brier. Wild bugloss (Bot.), an annual rough-leaved plant (Lycopsis arvensis) with small blue flowers. Wild camomile (Bot.), one or more plants of the composite genus Matricaria, much resembling camomile. Wild cat. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A European carnivore (Felis catus) somewhat resembling the domestic cat, but larger stronger, and having a short tail. It is destructive to the smaller domestic animals, such as lambs, kids, poultry, and the like. (b) The common American lynx, or bay lynx. (c) (Naut.) A wheel which can be adjusted so as to revolve either with, or on, the shaft of a capstan. --Luce. Wild celery. (Bot.) See Tape grass, under Tape. Wild cherry. (Bot.) (a) Any uncultivated tree which bears cherries. The wild red cherry is Prunus Pennsylvanica. The wild black cherry is P. serotina, the wood of which is much used for cabinetwork, being of a light red color and a compact texture. (b) The fruit of various species of Prunus. Wild cinnamon. See the Note under Canella. Wild comfrey (Bot.), an American plant (Cynoglossum Virginicum) of the Borage family. It has large bristly leaves and small blue flowers. Wild cumin (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant (Lag[oe]cia cuminoides) native in the countries about the Mediterranean. Wild drake (Zo["o]l.) the mallard. Wild elder (Bot.), an American plant (Aralia hispida) of the Ginseng family. Wild fowl (Zo["o]l.) any wild bird, especially any of those considered as game birds. Wild goose (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of undomesticated geese, especially the Canada goose (Branta Canadensis), the European bean goose, and the graylag. See Graylag, and Bean goose, under Bean. Wild goose chase, the pursuit of something unattainable, or of something as unlikely to be caught as the wild goose. --Shak. Wild honey, honey made by wild bees, and deposited in trees, rocks, the like. Wild hyacinth. (Bot.) See Hyacinth, 1 (b) . Wild Irishman (Bot.), a thorny bush (Discaria Toumatou) of the Buckthorn family, found in New Zealand, where the natives use the spines in tattooing. Wild land. (a) Land not cultivated, or in a state that renders it unfit for cultivation. (b) Land which is not settled and cultivated. Wild licorice. (Bot.) See under Licorice. Wild mammee (Bot.), the oblong, yellowish, acid fruit of a tropical American tree (Rheedia lateriflora); -- so called in the West Indies. Wild marjoram (Bot.), a labiate plant (Origanum vulgare) much like the sweet marjoram, but less aromatic. Wild oat. (Bot.) (a) A tall, oatlike kind of soft grass (Arrhenatherum avenaceum). (b) See Wild oats, under Oat. Wild pieplant (Bot.), a species of dock (Rumex hymenosepalus) found from Texas to California. Its acid, juicy stems are used as a substitute for the garden rhubarb. Wild pigeon. (Zo["o]l.) (a) The rock dove. (b) The passenger pigeon. Wild pink (Bot.), an American plant (Silene Pennsylvanica) with pale, pinkish flowers; a kind of catchfly. Wild plantain (Bot.), an arborescent endogenous herb (Heliconia Bihai), much resembling the banana. Its leaves and leaf sheaths are much used in the West Indies as coverings for packages of merchandise. Wild plum. (Bot.) (a) Any kind of plum growing without cultivation. (b) The South African prune. See under Prune. Wild rice. (Bot.) See Indian rice, under Rice. Wild rosemary (Bot.), the evergreen shrub Andromeda polifolia. See Marsh rosemary, under Rosemary. Wild sage. (Bot.) See Sagebrush. Wild sarsaparilla (Bot.), a species of ginseng (Aralia nudicaulis) bearing a single long-stalked leaf. Wild sensitive plant (Bot.), either one of two annual leguminous herbs (Cassia Cham[ae]crista, and C. nictitans), in both of which the leaflets close quickly when the plant is disturbed. Wild service.(Bot.) See Sorb. Wild Spaniard (Bot.), any one of several umbelliferous plants of the genus Aciphylla, natives of New Zealand. The leaves bear numerous bayonetlike spines, and the plants form an impenetrable thicket. Wild turkey. (Zo["o]l.) See 2d Turkey.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cat Cat, n. [AS. cat; akin to D. & Dan. kat, Sw. kett, Icel. k["o]ttr, G. katze, kater, Ir. Cat, W. cath, Armor. kaz, LL. catus, Bisc. catua, NGr. ?, ?, Russ. & Pol. cot, Turk. kedi, Ar. qitt; of unknown origin. CF. Ketten.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) An animal of various species of the genera Felis and Lynx. The domestic cat is Felis domestica. The European wild cat (Felis catus) is much larger than the domestic cat. In the United States the name wild cat is commonly applied to the bay lynx (Lynx rufus) See Wild cat, and Tiger cat. Note: The domestic cat includes many varieties named from their place of origin or from some peculiarity; as, the Angora cat; the Maltese cat; the Manx cat. Note: The word cat is also used to designate other animals, from some fancied resemblance; as, civet cat, fisher cat, catbird, catfish shark, sea cat. 2. (Naut.) (a) A strong vessel with a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and deep waist. It is employed in the coal and timber trade. (b) A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the cathead of a ship. --Totten. 3. A double tripod (for holding a plate, etc.), having six feet, of which three rest on the ground, in whatever position in is placed. 4. An old game; (a) The game of tipcat and the implement with which it is played. See Tipcat. (c) A game of ball, called, according to the number of batters, one old cat, two old cat, etc. 5. A cat o' nine tails. See below. Angora cat, blind cat, See under Angora, Blind. Black cat the fisher. See under Black. Cat and dog, like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonious. ``I am sure we have lived a cat and dog life of it.'' --Coleridge. Cat block (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to the cathead. Cat hook (Naut.), a strong hook attached to a cat block. Cat nap, a very short sleep. [Colloq.] Cat o' nine tails, an instrument of punishment consisting of nine pieces of knotted line or cord fastened to a handle; -- formerly used to flog offenders on the bare back. Cat's cradle, game played, esp. by children, with a string looped on the fingers so, as to resemble small cradle. The string is transferred from the fingers of one to those of another, at each transfer with a change of form. See Cratch, Cratch cradle. To let the cat out of the bag, to tell a secret, carelessly or willfully. [Colloq.] Bush cat, the serval. See Serval.