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

That catnip cast makes the series immediately interesting, not to say irresistible. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Content that develops an original perspective, uses proprietary data and aligns with the intent of the user’s query is catnip to LLMs (and Google). — Tyler Jordan, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Christopher Nolan scored 13 nominations and no fewer than seven wins, including for best picture, with his last directorial effort, Oppenheimer, at the 2024 Oscars, and his follow-up is an even more obvious example of awards catnip. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

George Sand has proved catnip to scores of biographers in the 150 years since her death. — Kathryn Hughes, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026

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