Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Nepeta cataria

Nepeta cataria

7.0
A plant with hairy, fragrant leaves and small white flowers that often makes cats excited
  • noun
  • /ˈnɛpɪtə kəˈtɛriə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Nepeta cataria
  • When exposed to Nepeta cataria, most cats react with playful excitement.

Examples

  • Many gardeners grow Nepeta cataria in their backyards.

  • The leaves and flowers of Nepeta cataria have long been used in herbal remedies.

  • Many gardeners grow Nepeta cataria to attract cats to their yards.

  • The plant Nepeta cataria is well-known for attracting cats.

  • Many gardeners grow Nepeta cataria to attract cats to their yards.

  • The leaves and flowers of Nepeta cataria have long been used in herbal remedies.

  • When exposed to Nepeta cataria, most cats react with playful excitement.

Synonyms

catnip
vsNepeta cataria
15 4.7

A small herb with a strong smell that cats like

is the formal botanical name for the same herb formerly used as a home remedy
catmint
vsNepeta cataria
1 8.4

A mint plant with fragrant leaves and flowers that often attract cats

is the specific species name rather than the broader mint-family label

Surface Forms

Nepeta cataria singular
Nepeta catarias plural

Morphology

Nepeta + cataria

This is a Latin binomial combining a mint-genus name ('Nepeta') with a second element ('cataria') that suggests a relation to cats; a learner who recognizes the parts could infer 'a Nepeta species associated with cats' (i.e., a mint-like plant linked to cats). However, the precise common meaning ('catnip' and its typical behavioural effects on cats) and the Latin morphology are cultural/lexical knowledge not predictable from the parts alone, so the expression is only partly transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Nepeta cataria gets its name from a simple story: people say the herb grew near the town of Nepi, so it was called Nepeta, and cataria means it affects cats strongly — cats often roll, play, or get excited when they smell it. That's why the herb is commonly called 'catnip' today and is used to attract cats or as a home remedy.