Main Entry: cat·nip

Pronunciation: \-ˌnip\

Function: noun

Etymology: ¹cat + obsolete nep catnip, from Middle English, from Old English nepte, from Latin nepeta

Date: 1712

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