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.

See Examples For:

catnip

One of the organisers of the 'Rescue Hoads Wood' campaign said the cleared site would now be "catnip" to both organised gangs and opportunist fly-tippers.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

And Citizen Vigilante is a disturbing film that is catnip for the internet’s worst people, Rebecca Onion explains.

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025

Online, fans declare their “brain crushes” on Seu, whose ultra-detailed spreadsheets have become unlikely catnip for TikTok.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

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

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

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