wild

Everyday

1. Living or growing in nature, not looked after by people: wild animals, wild flowers. tree →
2. Of land: natural, with few people or buildings. tree →
3. Not controlled; very noisy, excited or rough: a wild party, wild behaviour. tree →
4. Of weather: stormy and strong. tree →
5. Not sensible or a guess without thinking: a wild guess. tree →
6. Noun: the wild — nature, away from people. tree →

In the lessons

In science: wild animals versus pets and farm animals; habitats; wildlife. In safety: never feed or touch wild animals (they can bite, carry illness); don't eat wild berries or mushrooms without an adult who knows. In stories: wild places and wild weather make adventures. Phrases: in the wild, wild animal, wildlife, a wild guess, run wild, go wild, wild about something.

Examples

• Lions are wild animals. tree →
• We picked wild blackberries with Grandma. tree →
• Never touch a wild animal, even if it looks friendly. tree →
• The wind was wild last night. tree →
• The crowd went wild when we scored. tree →
• Pandas live in the wild in China. tree →
• That was a wild guess, not a real answer. tree →
• Don't eat wild mushrooms — some are poisonous. tree →

Note

Comparisons: wilder, wildest. Opposite: tame (animals), cultivated or garden (plants), calm (people). Say «wyld» (rhymes with child). «Wildlife» = wild animals and plants, one word. In maths a «wild guess» is not an estimate: an estimate uses rounding and thinking.

In Jewish tradition

Used for undomesticated animals such as the wild ox, wild goat and wild ass.

Interpretation. The Torah lists wild animals that may be eaten, and these belong to the laws of clean animals.

Examples

• God who brought them forth out of Egypt is for them like the lofty horns of the wild-ox. (Torah NUM.23.22, JPS 1917) tree →
• the hart, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the antelope, and the mountain-sheep. (Torah DEU.14.5, JPS 1917) tree →
• And he shall be a wild ass of a man: his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brethren.' (Torah GEN.16.12, JPS 1917) tree →
• Who hath sent out the wild ass free? (Writings JOB.39.5, JPS 1917) tree →
• Will the wild-ox be willing to serve thee? (Writings JOB.39.9, JPS 1917) tree →
• Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? (Writings JOB.39.5, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Comparisons: wilder, wildest. Opposite: tame (animals), cultivated or garden (plants), calm (people). Say «wyld» (rhymes with child). «Wildlife» = wild animals and plants, one word. In maths a «wild guess» is not an estimate: an estimate uses rounding and thinking.