Catnip
a plant, Nepeta cataria, of the mint family, having egg-shaped leaves containing aromatic oils that are a cat attractant.
Contemporary Examples
Coded references to risqué and sexual matters were catnip to the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Cole Porter.
When Broadway Musicals Were Dark And Subversive Laurence Maslon December 15, 2014
A feisty, Steve Jobs gee-whizzing in his black turtleneck about his latest gizmo is catnip.
Steve Jobs’ Messiah Complex Eric Dezenhall January 14, 2009
In a culture that worships celebrities while pretending to disdain them, the Sony emails are catnip for the masses.
The Disaster Story That Hollywood Had Coming Doug McIntyre December 16, 2014
And a candidate with some verve— Michele Bachmann comes to mind—is catnip for the cameras.
All the Also-Rans for President Jack W. Germond March 28, 2011
These vintage hot rod racers were catnip to testosterone-pumped owner pilots.
Reno’s Reckless Air Tragedy Clive Irving September 16, 2011
Historical Examples
The newspapers pounced on them with joy, as cats pounce and purr on catnip.
In a Little Town Rupert Hughes
At this juncture catnip tapped at the door and put in his head.
Dust Julian Hawthorne
I alays hev my own catnip en sheep balls foh sum cases need one kind of tea en sum ernother.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States Work Projects Administration
“Then get him a pennyworth of catnip and put it on my bill,” I said benevolently.
The Champagne Standard Mrs. John Lane
Boneset, wormwood and catnip had their places on the wall, together with ears of corn and strings of dried apples.
The Strollers Frederic S. Isham
noun
another name for catmint
n.
1712, American English, from cat (n.) + nip, from Old English nepte “catnip,” from Latin nepta, name of an aromatic herb. The older name is Middle English catmint (mid-13c.).
Common Architecture for Next Generation Internet Protocol
Read Also:
- Cat-o'-mountain
catamountain. a wild animal of the cat family, as the European wildcat, the leopard, or panther. noun another name for catamount
- Cat-o'-nine-tails
a whip, usually having nine knotted lines or cords fastened to a handle, used for flogging.
- Cat's pajamas
someone or something wonderful or remarkable.
- Cat's-paw
a person used to serve the purposes of another; tool. Nautical. a hitch made in the bight of a rope so that two eyes are formed to hold the hook of one block of a tackle. a light breeze that ruffles the surface of the water over a comparatively small area. the small area ruffled […]
- Cat-rig
the typical rig of a catboat, consisting of a single mast with a long boom, set well forward and carrying a single gaff or jib-headed sail. noun the rig of a catboat