CATNIP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does catnip mean? 

• CATNIP (noun)
  The noun CATNIP has 1 sense:

1. hairy aromatic perennial herb having whorls of small white purple-spotted flowers in a terminal spike; used in the past as a domestic remedy; strongly attractive to cats

  Familiarity information: CATNIP used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CATNIP (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hairy aromatic perennial herb having whorls of small white purple-spotted flowers in a terminal spike; used in the past as a domestic remedy; strongly attractive to cats

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

catmint; catnip; Nepeta cataria

Hypernyms ("catnip" is a kind of...):

herb; herbaceous plant (a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests)

Holonyms ("catnip" is a member of...):

genus Nepeta; Nepeta (catmint)

 Context examples 

Best of all, Venus will enter Aries on February 7 to remain until March 4—you will be catnip to someone interesting you meet.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Beth had old-fashioned fragrant flowers in her garden, sweet peas and mignonette, larkspur, pinks, pansies, and southernwood, with chickweed for the birds and catnip for the pussies.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)