bitter cress

Noun

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

any of various herbs of the genus Cardamine, having usually pinnate leaves and racemes of white, pink or purple flowers; cosmopolitan except AntarcticSynonyms: bittercress bitter cress

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

To strip the brook with mantling cresses spread.— Goldsmith.[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. [1913 Webster]

Bitter \Bit"ter\, a. [AS. biter; akin to Goth. baitrs, Icel. bitr, Dan., Sw., D., & G. bitter, OS. bittar, fr. root of E. bite. See Bite, v. t.]

1.Having a peculiar, acrid, biting taste, like that of wormwood or an infusion of hops; as, a bitter medicine; bitter as aloes. [1913 Webster]

2.Causing pain or smart; piercing; painful; sharp; severe; as, a bitter cold day. [1913 Webster]

3.Causing, or fitted to cause, pain or distress to the mind; calamitous; poignant. [1913 Webster]

It is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God.— Jer. ii. 19.[1913 Webster]

4.Characterized by sharpness, severity, or cruelty; harsh; stern; virulent; as, bitter reproach. [1913 Webster]

Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.— Col. iii. 19.[1913 Webster]

5.Mournful; sad; distressing; painful; pitiable. [1913 Webster]

The Egyptians . . . made their lives bitter with hard bondage.— Ex. i. 14.[1913 Webster]

Bitter apple, Bitter cucumber, Bitter gourd. (Bot.) See Colocynth.

Bitter cress (Bot.), a plant of the genus Cardamine, esp. Cardamine amara.

Bitter earth (Min.), tale earth; calcined magnesia.

Bitter principles (Chem.), a class of substances, extracted from vegetable products, having strong bitter taste but with no sharply defined chemical characteristics.

Bitter salt, Epsom salts; magnesium sulphate.

Bitter vetch (Bot.), a name given to two European leguminous herbs, Vicia Orobus and Ervum Ervilia.

To the bitter end, to the last extremity, however calamitous. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Acrid; sharp; harsh; pungent; stinging; cutting; severe; acrimonious. [1913 Webster]