catnip

American

[kat-nip] / ˈkæt nɪp /

noun

a plant, Nepeta cataria, of the mint family, having egg-shaped leaves containing aromatic oils that are a cat attractant.

catnip British

/ ˈkætˌnɪp /

noun

another name for catmint

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of catnip

An Americanism first recorded in 1705–15; cat ( def. ) + nip, variant of Middle English nep “catnip,” variant of Old English nepte, from Medieval Latin nepta, variant of Latin nepeta

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One is the sheer complexity of the federal budget and its absurd lack of transparency; this is catnip for conspiracy theorists.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

There’s a spacecraft and a robot and pirate references, all catnip for sci-fi and dystopia lovers and all very well done.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

I started at the outer ring of the funnel: the tourist catnip.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025

The booming industry of AI is like catnip to economics researchers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

They’re green—despite my best cleaning efforts—and they’re like catnip for him.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023