1. drilled exploratory oil or gas wells in unproven territory
Usage: oil industry; past tense of wildcat

Examples

• The company wildcatted in remote areas of Texas looking for new oil reserves.
• They wildcatted several sites before finding a productive well.
• The entrepreneur wildcatted in Alaska despite the high risks.
• After years of wildcatting, they finally struck oil.
• The firm wildcatted extensively in the 1980s oil boom.