catmint(n = noun.plant) catnip, nepeta cataria - 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;
A well-know plant of the genus Nepeta (Nepeta Cataria), somewhat like mint, having a string scent, and sometimes used in medicine. It is so called because cats have a peculiar fondness for it. [1913 Webster]