catmint
catmint Lexical Profile
catmint Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Specifically, the common herb Nepeta cataria, or its dried aromatic leaves and stems, which contain the chemical nepetalactone and are well known for inducing a state of playful euphoria in domestic cats.
"Our tabby rolled happily over the patch of fresh catmint growing by the garden wall."
Any of various aromatic perennial herbs of the genus Nepeta in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to Europe, Asia, and Africa and widely cultivated as ornamental garden plants for their gray-green foliage and spikes of small, two-lipped lavender, blue, or white flowers.
"The gardener lined the sunny gravel pathway with mounds of purple-flowering catmint."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often used interchangeably with "catnip" (specifically Nepeta cataria), gardeners commonly use "catmint" to refer to ornamental hybrids and species of the genus Nepeta grown for their long-lasting lavender flowers rather than solely to attract cats.
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English as a compound of "cat" and "mint", translating Old French "herbe au chat" or Medieval Latin "herba catti", in reference to the strong attraction domestic cats have to the aromatic foliage.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.