Hypertext Webster Gateway: "cress"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Cress \Cress\ (kr[e^]s), n.; pl. {Cresses} (kr[e^]s"[e^]z). [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.] (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.'' --Skeat.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
cress
n 1: any of various plants of the family Cruciferae having edible
pungent-tasting leaves [syn: {cress plant}]
2: pungent leaves of any of numerous cruciferous herbs
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