cress

Meaning

Noun

• A plant of various species, chiefly cruciferous. The leaves have a moderately pungent taste, and are used as a salad and antiscorbutic.

Origin

• From Middle English cresse, crasse, from Old English cressa, cærse, from Proto-West Germanic *krassjō, from Proto-Germanic *krasjô. Cognate with West Frisian kers, Dutch kers, German Kresse, Danish karse, Swedish krasse, Icelandic krassi.