■ noun
1》 a small Eurasian and African cat, typically grey with black markings and a bushy tail, believed to be the ancestor of the domestic cat. [ Felis silvestris .]
↘a bobcat or other small felid.
2》 a hot-tempered or ferocious person.
3》 an exploratory oil well.
■ adjective
1》 (of a strike) sudden and unofficial.
2》 commercially unsound or risky.
■ verb US prospect for oil.
Derivatives
~ter noun