Wild

Wild, wīld, adj. frolicsome, light-hearted: being in a state of nature: not tamed or cultivated: uncivilised: desert: unsheltered: violent: eager, keen: licentious: fantastic: wide of the mark.—n. an uncultivated region: a forest or desert.—ns. Wīld′-ass, an Asiatic or African ass living naturally in a wild state; Wīld′-boar, a wild swine or animal of the hog kind.—adj. Wīld′-born, born in a wild state.—n. Wīld′-cat, the undomesticated cat.—adj. (U.S.) haphazard, reckless, unsound financially.—ns. Wīld′-cherr′y, any uncultivated tree bearing cherries, or its fruit; Wīld′-duck, any duck excepting the domesticated duck.—v.t. Wilder (wil′dėr), to bewilder.—v.i. to wander widely or wildly.—adv. Wil′deredly, in a wildered manner.—ns. Wil′dering, any plant growing wild, esp. one that has escaped from a state of cultivation; Wil′derment, confusion; Wil′derness, a wild or waste place: an uncultivated region: a confused mass: (Shak.) wildness; Wīld′-fire, a composition of inflammable materials: a kind of lightning flitting at intervals: a disease of sheep; Wīld′-fowl, the birds of the duck tribe: game-birds; Wīld′-fowl′ing, the pursuit of wild-fowl; Wīld′-goose, a bird of the goose kind which is wild or feral; Wīld′-goose-chase (see Chase); Wīld-hon′ey, the honey of wild bees; Wīld′ing, that which grows wild or without cultivation: a wild crab-apple.—adj. uncultivated.—adj. Wīld′ish, somewhat wild.—n. Wīld′-land, land completely uncultivated.—adv. Wīld′ly.—ns. Wīld′ness; Wīld′-oat, a tall perennial Old World grass.—adj. Wīld′-wood, belonging to wild uncultivated wood.—n. a forest.—Wild animals, undomesticated animals; Wild birds, birds not domesticated, esp. those protected at certain seasons under the Act of 1880; Wild hunt, the name given in Germany to a noise sometimes heard in the air at night, mostly between Christmas and Epiphany, as of a host of spirits rushing along, accompanied by the shouting of huntsmen and the baying of dogs—the 'Seven Whistlers' and 'Gabriel's Hounds' of our own north country; Wild shot, a chance shot.—Run wild, to take to loose living: to revert to the wild or uncultivated state; Sow wild oats (see Oat). [A.S. wild; prob. orig. 'self-willed,' from the root of will; Ger. wild.]