catnip

noun

cat·​nip ˈkat-ˌnip How to pronounce catnip (audio)
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 Such an artist is catnip for organizers, who want nothing more, in these situations, than an arena full of people blissed out on their favorite songs, arms bedecked with blinking LED bracelets, clutching their Chik-fil-A coupons and singing along to 30-year-old singles. Preston Jones, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024 The multi-sensory toy crinkles and jingles and keeps cats engaged with a catnip filling that our cat loved. Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 This is not, needless to say, the Alaska of frostbite and frontier lore, though the no-phone policy happily prevents it from being pure influencer catnip. David Amsden, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2024 Napoleon Bonaparte has served as catnip to Hollywood almost as long as movies have existed. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2023 This Hanukkah cat toys set features eight miniature catnip toys, including a mouse, menorah, and dreidel to keep your kitty busy this holiday season. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 18 Nov. 2023 This calendar includes a variety of toys, like string toys, catnip toys, and crinkle paper, so your cat never gets bored. Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2023 This is catnip for developers, designers, and product managers who miss the days when the tech industry was similarly idealistic and dreaming of impact, not just a big payday. Jennifer Pahlka, WIRED, 8 Jan. 2024 As Watch Night itself exemplifies, these stories are extraordinarily difficult to stage effectively — not exactly commercial-box-office catnip. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catnip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of catnip was in 1712

Dictionary Entries Near catnip

Cite this Entry

“Catnip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/catnip. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

catnip

noun
cat·​nip -ˌnip How to pronounce catnip (audio)
: a strong-scented herb of the mint family that is especially attractive to cats

Medical Definition

catnip

noun
cat·​nip -ˌnip How to pronounce catnip (audio)
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

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