catnip

/'kætnip/

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Word: Catnip

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Catnip is a plant that has hairy leaves and produces small flowers that can be white or purple with spots. It is known for its strong smell, which many cats find very attractive.

Usage Instructions: Catnip is often used in toys for cats or can be given to cats in dried form. When cats smell or eat catnip, they may act excited or playful. It is safe for cats to enjoy.

Example Sentence: "I bought a new cat toy filled with catnip, and my cat couldn't stop playing with it!"

Advanced Usage:

In addition to its use with cats, catnip has been used in traditional medicine for humans, sometimes to make tea. However, it is primarily known for its effects on cats.

Word Variants:

• Catnipped (adjective): Describes something that has been treated with catnip.
• Catnip tea (noun): A tea made from the leaves of the catnip plant, which some people drink for relaxation.

Different Meanings:

While "catnip" primarily refers to the plant that attracts cats, in a figurative sense, it can also describe something that is very appealing or attractive to someone, much like how catnip is to cats.

Synonyms:

• Nepeta (the scientific name of the plant)
• Catmint (another common name for catnip)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

Currently, there are no well-known idioms or phrasal verbs specifically related to "catnip." However, you could use phrases like "it’s a catnip for" to describe something that attracts a specific group of people.

Academic

Noun

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

Synonyms

• catmint
• Nepeta cataria