catnip

[ 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.

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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

catlin, catling, catmint, catnap, catnapper, catnip, cato, catoctin mountain park, catoctin mountains, catolyte, catonsville

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for catnip

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
The newspapers pounced on them with joy, as cats pounce and purr on catnip.
In a Little Town|Rupert Hughes
It was like throwing a cat into a bed of catnip and expecting him to be calm.
The Battleship Boys in Foreign Service|Frank Gee Patchin
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 lamp on the table flashed and smoked and sputtered; the room was littered with flying papers and catnip leaves.
In Search of the Unknown|Robert W. Chambers
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

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