Also cats-mint, 7 catamint. [f. CAT + MINT; cf. med.L. herba catti, cataria, F. herbe du chat, G. katzenmünze, Du. kattekruid. See quot. 1776.] A labiate plant, Nepeta Cataria, a native of Britain and the continent of Europe, naturalized in North America. Also taken as the English name of the genus.
c. 1265. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 557. Nepta, kattesminte.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, II. lxvi. 248. The third kinde [of Calamynte] is now called … in English Neppe, and Cat Mynte.
1597. Gerard, Herbal, ccxvi. § 1. 553. Cat Mint or Nep groweth high.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 206. It [the cat] is excessively fond of some plants, such as valerian, marum, and cat-mint; against these it rubs, smells them at a distance, and, at last, if they be planted in a garden, wears them out.
1792. National Gaz., 28 July, I. No. 78. 311/2. They ‘ought to be confined to a close room, and fed on jalap, cat-mint tea, and water-gruel.’
1830. J. Forbes, Laennec’s Dis. Chest, 645. Aromatics are also frequently useful, and particularly the infusion of cat-mint, [etc.].
1882. Gr. Allen, Colours Flowers, ii. 55. Ground-ivy … is bright blue; catmint … pale blue.
