catnip

noun

cat·​nip ˈkat-ˌnip 

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

Rolex has long been the catnip for robbers, and reports of Rolex thefts have increased with a vengeance over the last couple of years. —Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 22 Nov. 2024

After two—if not four—full years of waiting for this final push, the catnip of these numbers is too much. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024

For years, Hunter Biden and his work for a Ukrainian energy company has been catnip for conservatives—many of whom still believe that the money paid to Hunter for his work on the Burisma board was a bag of cash for the Bidens, with Joe Biden skimming a share from the top. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 2 Dec. 2024

The idea of purgatory has always been catnip to playwrights, going back centuries. —Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024

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

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

-ˌnep, -nəp 

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

: cataria sense 2