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]