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1
: a strong-scented perennial mint (Nepeta cataria) that has whorls of small pale flowers in terminal spikes and contains a substance attractive to cats
2
: something very attractive
Examples of catnip in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More than any of the wide-ranging jobs Miranda has taken on in the past five years, The Warriors, a classic yarn about underprivileged New Yorkers weathering an arduous power struggle, is catnip for the 44-year-old Pulitzer Prize–winning polymath.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
Why do my cats find catnip calming instead of invigorating?
—Jack Gedney, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024
Two strongly scented plants to avoid are catnip and its cousin catmint.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2024
Such content is catnip for her followers, many of whom enjoy recalling simpler times when Wet 'n Wild polishes were only $1.
—C. Shardae Jobson, Allure, 18 Sep. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
cat entry 1 + obsolete nep catnip, from Middle English, from Old English nepte, from Latin nepeta
First Known Use
1712, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near catnip
Cite this Entry
“Catnip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catnip. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
catnip
noun
cat·nip
-ˌnip
: a strong-scented herb of the mint family that is especially attractive to cats
Medical Definition
catnip
noun
cat·nip
-ˌnip
variants
also catnep
1
: a strong-scented mint (Nepeta cataria) that has small pale flowers in terminal spikes and contains a substance attractive to cats
called also cataria, catmint
2
More from Merriam-Webster on catnip
Nglish: Translation of catnip for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about catnip
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