lepidium sativum
NounWordNet 3.0
Noun (1)
- annual herb used as salad green and garnishSynonyms: common garden cressgarden pepper cresspepper grasspepperwortLepidium sativum
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Peppergrass \Pep"per*grass`\, n. (Bot.) (a) Any herb of the cruciferous genus Lepidium, especially the garden peppergrass, or garden cress, Lepidium sativum; -- called also pepperwort. All the species have a pungent flavor. (b) The common pillwort of Europe (Pilularia globulifera). See Pillwort. [1913 Webster]
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]