adj., adv., & n.
adj. 1 (of an animal or plant) in its original natural state; not domesticated or cultivated (esp. of species or varieties allied to others that are not wild). 2 not civilized; barbarous. 3 (of scenery etc.) having a conspicuously desolate appearance. 4 unrestrained, disorderly, uncontrolled (a wild youth; wild hair). 5 tempestuous, violent (a wild night). 6 a intensely eager; excited, frantic (wild with excitement; wild delight). b (of looks, appearance, etc.) indicating distraction. c (foll. by about) colloq. enthusiastically devoted to (a person or subject). 7 colloq. infuriated, angry (makes me wild). 8 haphazard, ill-aimed, rash (a wild guess; a wild shot; a wild venture). 9 (of a horse, game-bird, etc.) shy; easily startled. 10 colloq. exciting, delightful. 11 (of a card) having any rank chosen by the player holding it (the joker is wild).
adv. in a wild manner (shooting wild).
n. 1 a wild tract. 2 a desert. in the wild in an uncultivated etc. state. in (or out in) the wilds colloq. far from normal habitation. run wild grow or stray unchecked or undisciplined. sow one's wild oats see OAT. wild and woolly uncouth; lacking refinement. wild boar see BOAR. wild card 1 see sense 11 of adj. 2 Computing a character that will match any character or sequence of characters in a file name etc. 3 Sport an extra player or team chosen to enter a competition at the selectors' discretion. wild cat any of various smallish cats, esp. the European Felis sylvestris (cf. WILDCAT). wild-goose chase a foolish or hopeless and unproductive quest. wild horse 1 a horse not domesticated or broken in. 2 (in pl.) colloq. even the most powerful influence etc. (wild horses would not drag the secret from me). wild hyacinth = BLUEBELL 1. wild man of the woods colloq. an orang-utan. wild rice any tall grass of the genus Zizania, yielding edible grains. wild silk 1 silk from wild silkworms. 2 an imitation of this from short silk fibres. Wild West the western US in a time of lawlessness in its early history. wildish adj. wildly adv. wildness n.
[ OE wilde f. Gmc ]