cat·nip

[kat-nip]
noun
a plant, Nepeta cataria, of the mint family, having egg-shaped leaves containing aromatic oils that are a cat attractant.
Also, especially British, catmint.


Origin:
1705–15, Americanism; cat1 + nip, variant of Middle English nep catnip, apocopated variant of Old English nepte < Medieval Latin nepta, variant of Latin nepeta

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To catnip
Collins
World English Dictionary
catnip (ˈkætˌnɪp) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
another name for catmint

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Catnip is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

catnip
1712, Amer.Eng., from cat + nip, from O.E. nepte, from L. nepta, an aromatic herb. The older name is M.E. catmint (c.1265).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

CATNIP definition


Common Architecture for Next Generation Internet Protocol

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
Cite This Source
Example sentences
But to the lioness of all media, that kind of reaction is catnip.
From the blasted pupils, it could also possibly be a catnip overdose.
The research is preliminary, and catnip has yet to be tested on humans as a
  mosquito repellent.
We also have a supply of catnip bags for your favorite feline.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT