Wa·ter cress Bot. A perennial cruciferous herb (Nasturtium officinale) growing usually in clear running or spring water. The leaves are pungent, and used for salad and as an antiscorbutic.

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 Cress n.; pl. Cresses   Bot. A plant of various species, chiefly cruciferous. The leaves have a moderately pungent taste, and are used as a salad and antiscorbutic.
 Note: ☞ The garden cress, called also peppergrass, is the Lepidium sativum; the water cress is the Nasturtium officinale. Various other plants are sometimes called cresses.
    To strip the brook with mantling cresses spread.   --Goldsmith.
 Bitter cress. See under Bitter.
 Not worth a cress, or not worth a kers.” a common old proverb, now turned into the meaningless “not worth a curse.”

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 Nasturtium officinale
      n : perennial Eurasian cress growing chiefly in springs or
          running water having fleshy pungent leaves used in salads
          or as a potherb or garnish; introduced in North America
          and elsewhere [syn: common watercress, {Rorippa
          nasturtium-aquaticum]