First Known Use: 1712
Dictionary
catnip
noun cat·nip \-ˌnip\
: a type of mint that has a strong smell which is attractive to cats
Full Definition of CATNIP
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
See catnip defined for English-language learners
See catnip defined for kids
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Origin of CATNIP
1cat + obsolete nep catnip, from Middle English, from Old English nepte, from Latin nepeta
Rhymes with CATNIP
airship, airstrip, atrip, backflip, blue-chip, call slip, chiefship, cleft lip, clerkship, corn chip, courtship, cowslip, deanship, death grip, drag strip, dress ship, ear clip, equip, felt-tip, fieldstrip, field trip, filmstrip, fireship, flagship, foul tip, friendship, frostnip, guildship, guilt-trip, gunship, half-slip, handgrip, hardship, harelip, headship, horsewhip, inclip, judgeship, jump ship, kingship, kinship, landslip, let rip, lightship, longship, lordship, Mendip, nonslip, outstrip, oxlip, palship, pink slip, pip-pip, princeship, Q-ship, queenship, roach clip, road trip, rose hip, round-trip, saintship, sales slip, sea whip, sideslip, spaceship, starship, steamship, storeship, strike-slip, take ship, tall ship, thaneship, township, transship, troopship, unship, unzip, V-chip, wardship, warship, white chip, wing tip
CATNIP Defined for Kids
catnip
noun cat·nip \ˈkat-ˌnip\
Definition of CATNIP for Kids
: a plant that is a mint with a smell especially attractive to cats
Medical Dictionary
catnip
noun cat·nip \-ˌnip\
Medical Definition of CATNIP
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 2
Variants of CATNIP
cat·nip also cat·nep \-ˌnep, -nəp\
Learn More About CATNIP
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