cat-mint

A cat rubs its head against a clump of cat-mint in the garden.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A plant of the mint family: "cat-mint" refers to a perennial herb (genus Nepeta, especially Nepeta cataria) with aromatic leaves, known to attract cats and induce a euphoric or playful response in them. It is also called catnip.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The garden is full of cat-mint, and the neighborhood cats love to roll in it. (A plant that attracts and affects cats.)
  • She dried the cat-mint leaves to make a toy for her kitten. (Using the plant for recreational purposes for cats.)

Advanced Usage

• "cat-mint tea": a herbal infusion made from the leaves of the cat-mint plant, sometimes used for its mild sedative effects in humans.

  • After a stressful day, he drank a cup of cat-mint tea to relax. (A calming herbal tea.)

• "cat-mint oil": an essential oil extracted from the plant, used in aromatherapy or as a natural insect repellent.

  • The cat-mint oil kept mosquitoes away during the picnic. (A plant-based repellent.)

Variants and Related Words

• Catnip (n): a common name for the same plant, Nepeta cataria, especially when referring to its effect on cats.

  • The cat went crazy over the catnip toy. (Same as cat-mint, but more widely used.)

• Catmint (n): an alternative spelling of "cat-mint," often used interchangeably.

  • He planted catmint along the border of the flowerbed. (A variant spelling.)

Synonyms

• Catnip: the most common synonym for cat-mint.
• Nepeta: the scientific genus name for the plant.

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms