cat nipとは 意味・読み方・使い方

別の表記

• cat nip, cat-nip

語源

Compound of cat +‎ nep, nip (“catnip”), from 中期英語 nep, from 古期英語 nepte, from Proto-West Germanic *nepetā, from Latin nepeta (“catnip”). Compare earlier catmint (“catnip”), from 中期英語 catt mynte, which very likely existed in 古期英語 (as *cattes minte) as well.

発音

• IPA: /ˈkætnɪp/

名詞

catnip (countable and uncountable, plural catnips)

1. Any of the about 250 species of flowering plant of the genus Nepeta, family Lamiaceae, certain of which are said to have medicinal qualities.

   Synonyms: catmint, catwort

   • 1991 August 4, Linda Yang, “Garden Q. & A.”, in The New York Times‎, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 May 2015:

     Heavy mulching should help with winter survival of hardy, fragrant leaved perennials like lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), catnip (Nepeta mussini), sage (Salvia officinalis), mint, oregano (Origanum vulgare) and thyme (Thymus species).

   1. Nepeta cataria and Nepeta grandiflora (and perhaps other species), which are well-known for causing an apparently harmless pheromone-based intoxication among certain cats.

      Coordinate term: silver vine

      Some cats go bonkers over catnip; others ignore it.

      • 2021 January 20, Sofia Moutinho, “Why cats are crazy for catnip”, in Science‎, Washington, D.C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 January 2021:

        But exactly how catnip—and a substitute, known as silver vine—produce this feline high has long been a mystery. Now, a study suggests the key intoxicating chemicals in the plants activate cats’ opioid systems much like heroin and morphine do in people.

2. (figurative) Something that causes excitement or interest.

   Coordinate terms: bait, forbidden fruit

   Near-synonym: crack

   Their outrage was catnip to the trolls who had deepfaked the video.

   • 2015 April 2, James Somers, “Toolkits for the Mind”, in MIT Technology Review‎, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Technology Review, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 August 2020:

     The language [OCaml]’s rigor is like catnip to some people, though, giving Jane Street an unusual advantage in the tight hiring market for programmers.

   • 2016 October 24, Owen Gibson, “Is the unthinkable happening – are people finally switching the football off?”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 October 2016:

     Since Rupert Murdoch famously bet the farm on Premier League football to rescue Sky TV in 1991, it has been the catnip that has underpinned subscriber loyalty and, even in a far more complicated media landscape, is seen as so vital as to be worth almost any price.

   • 2017 May 31, David Z. Morris, “The Rise of Cryptocurrency Ponzi Schemes”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic‎, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 May 2017:

     Unlike IPOs, however, ICOs are catnip for scammers.

   • 2019 September 14, Elizabeth Paton, “A Fashion/Food Blowout in the Shadow of Brexit”, in The New York Times‎, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 September 2019:

     This hot new Shoreditch trattoria already is catnip for the style set.

   • 2025 July 16, Marcus Mendes, “Grok may be breaking App Store rules with sexualized AI chatbots, and that’s not the only problem”, in 9to5Mac‎, Cupertino, Calif., archived from the original on 16 July 2025:

     While some might see xAI’s new anime avatars as a harmless experiment, they’re emotional catnip for vulnerable users.

派生語

派生した語

• → Spanish: catnip

参照

Further reading

• “catnip, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• Nepeta on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Nepeta on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• catnip on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Nepeta cataria on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Nepeta grandiflora on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Nepeta grandiflora on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

アナグラム

• pancit