Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

catnip

/ˈkætnɪp/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.68 in modern English

Syllables: cat-nip
IPA: /ˈkætnɪp/

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of the about 250 species of flowering plant of the genus Nepeta, family Lamiaceae, certain of which are said to have medicinal qualities.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Any of the about 250 species of flowering plant of the genus Nepeta, family Lamiaceae, certain of which are said to have medicinal qualities.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Something that causes excitement or interest.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Heavy mulching should help with winter survival of hardy, fragrant leaved perennials like lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), catnip (Nepeta mussini), sage (Salvia officinalis), mint, oregano (Origanum vulgare) and thyme (Thymus species)."
"Some cats go bonkers over catnip; others ignore it."
"But exactly how catnip—and a substitute, known as silver vine—produce this feline high has long been a mystery. Now, a study suggests the key intoxicating chemicals in the plants activate cats’ opioid systems much like heroin and morphine do in people."
"Near-synonym: crack"
"Their outrage was catnip to the trolls who had deepfaked the video."
"The language [OCaml]’s rigor is like catnip to some people, though, giving Jane Street an unusual advantage in the tight hiring market for programmers."

Etymology

Compound of cat + nep, nip (“catnip”), from Middle English nep, from Old English nepte, from Proto-West Germanic *nepetā, from Latin nepeta (“catnip”). Compare earlier catmint (“catnip”), from Middle English catt mynte, which very likely existed in Old English (as *cattes minte) as well.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: nep, nepte, *nepetā, nepeta

Usage

Inflected Forms

catnips (plural) cat nip (alternative) cat-nip (alternative)

Derived Forms

catnipped catnippy goynip

Frequently Paired Words

silver vine bait forbidden fruit

Synonyms

catmint catwort crack nepeta cataria

Rhymes With

atnip

Questions

How do you pronounce catnip?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkætnɪp/.
What does catnip mean?: Any of the about 250 species of flowering plant of the genus Nepeta, family Lamiaceae, certain of which are said to have medicinal qualities.
Where does catnip come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce catnip

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “catnip”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkætnɪp/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “catnip”.
Repeat and practice — Say “catnip” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.