nepetalactone

N1E1P3E1T1A1L1A1C3T1O1N1E1

noun

A bicyclic monoterpenoid found in catnip.

OriginEnglish lactone ← German Keton ← Latin lac →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounnepetalactone (uncountable)
  1. uncountablechemistryA bicyclic monoterpenoid found in catnip.

Origin

  1. Latinnepeta
  2. Latinlac
  3. Englishlacto-
  4. GermanKeton
  5. Englishketone
  6. Englishlactone
  7. Englishnepetalactone

From Translingual Nepeta + English lactone.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

nepetalactone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nepetalactone

MLA

“nepetalactone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nepetalactone. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nepetalactone,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nepetalactone.

Source: nepetalactone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.