cress Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of various plants of the family Cruciferae with edible leaves that have a pungent taste
    cress plant.
  2. noun pungent leaves of any of numerous cruciferous herbs

WordNet

Cress noun
Etymology
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.
Wordforms
plural Cresses
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A plant of various species, chiefly cruciferous. The leaves have a moderately pungent taste, and are used as a salad and antiscorbutic. ✍ 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.

Webster 1913