catnip

[ kat-nip ]

/ ˈkæt nɪp /

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noun

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

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Also especially British, catmint.

Origin of catnip

1705–15, Americanism;cat + nip, variant of Middle English nep catnip, apocopated variant of Old English nepte <Medieval Latin nepta, variant of Latin nepeta

Words nearby catnip

catling, cat litter, catmint, catnap, catnapper, catnip, Cato, Catoctin Mountain Park, Catoctin Mountains, catolyte, cat-o'-mountain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use catnip in a sentence

This interactive toy moves like a real fish and even has a catnip pouch to keep your cat happy.
Best cat toys: Your favorite feline will give two paws up to these cat accessories|Irena Collaku|July 21, 2021|Popular-Science
Studies have shown that catnip may be as effective at deterring insects as the widely used synthetic repellent diethyl-m-toluamide.
Scientists may have finally found how catnip repels insects|Erin Garcia de Jesus|April 5, 2021|Science News For Students
So researchers exposed mosquitoes and fruit flies to catnip and monitored the insects’ behavior.
Catnip repels insects. Scientists may have finally found out how|Erin Garcia de Jesus|March 4, 2021|Science News
A whiff of catnip can make mosquitoes buzz off, and now researchers know why.
Catnip repels insects. Scientists may have finally found out how|Erin Garcia de Jesus|March 4, 2021|Science News

A pot might be better, he says, since catnip can spread like a weed, taking over a garden.
Catnip repels insects. Scientists may have finally found out how|Erin Garcia de Jesus|March 4, 2021|Science News
In a culture that worships celebrities while pretending to disdain them, the Sony emails are catnip for the masses.
The Disaster Story That Hollywood Had Coming|Doug McIntyre|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Coded references to risqué and sexual matters were catnip to the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Cole Porter.
When Broadway Musicals Were Dark And Subversive|Laurence Maslon|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The exchange was catnip for reporters, and Republican political operatives passed the clip around with glee.
Hillary Clinton Wants It Both Ways on Gay Marriage|David Freedlander|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That message was like catnip and I am the worst kind of kitten: I love trouble.
The Return of the Replacements: Here Comes a Regular|Elizabeth Wurtzel|September 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY Movie stars who prove they can really act on Broadway are catnip for Tony voters.
The Tony Awards Are About a Lot More Than Theatrical Excellence|Janice Kaplan|June 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Then she will throw herself against it sideways and rub against it like a tom-cat in a catnip bed.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
The house cat, fat and lazy, had found a little patch of catnip that had started showing signs of growth.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
The catnip seemed to fill him with a spring madness that induced all kinds of foolish excesses.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
She led this cat up to her catnip bed, and watched her kindly, while she rolled and rubbed herself in it.
Beautiful Joe|Marshall Saunders
Catnip is a favorite plant with cats, and Miss Laura always kept some of it growing for Malta.
Beautiful Joe|Marshall Saunders

British Dictionary definitions for catnip

catnip

/ (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