cress

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

cress, n. [OE. ces, cresse, kers, kerse, AS. cresse, cerse; akin to D. kers, G. kresse, Dan. karse, Sw. krasse, and possibly also to OHG. chresan to creep.].

 A plant of various species, chiefly cruciferous. The leaves have a moderately pungent taste, and are used as a salad and antiscorbutic.  [1913 Webster]
" The garden cress, called also peppergrass, is the Lepidium sativum; the water cress is the Nasturtium officinale. Various other plants are sometimes called cresses."  [1913 Webster]
"To strip the brook with mantling cresses spread."  [1913 Webster]

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.” Skeat.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

cress, n. any of various cruciferous plants usu. with pungent edible leaves, e.g. watercress.

Etymology

OE cresse f. WG