Cress is a plant with small green leaves that are used in salads or to decorate food. See also mustard and cress.
2. uncountable noun
mustard and cress is sometimes referred to as cress.
cress in British English
(krɛs)
noun
any of various plants of the genera Lepidium, Cardamine, Arabis, etc, having pungent-tasting leaves often used in salads and as a garnish: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)
See also watercress, garden cress
Word origin
Old English cressa; related to Old High German cresso cress, kresan to crawl
cress in American English
(krɛs)
noun
any of various plants of the crucifer family, as watercress, the pungent leaves of which are used in salads and as garnishes
a perennial Mediterranean plant, Cardaria (or Lepidium ) draba, with small white flowers: a widespread troublesome weed : family Brassicaceae ( crucifers )
rock cress
any plant of the annual or perennial genus Arabis , some of which form low-growing mats with downy grey foliage and white flowers: family Brassicaceae ( crucifers )
thale cress
a small cruciferous plant, Arabidopsis thaliana
wart cress
either of two prostrate annuals , Coronopus squamatus and C. didymus, having small white flowers: family Brassicaceae ( crucifers )
bitter cress
any plant belonging to the genus Cardamine , of the mustard family, having usually pinnate leaves and clusters of white, pink , or purple flowers
garden cress
a pungent-tasting plant, Lepidium sativum, with white or reddish flowers: cultivated for salads , as a garnish , etc: family Brassicaceae ( crucifers )
swine's cress
either of two prostrate annuals , Coronopus squamatus and C. didymus, having small white flowers: family Brassicaceae ( crucifers )
winter cress
a bitter-tasting yellow-flowered perennial , Barbarea vulgaris, somewhat resembling mustard
yellow cress
any of various species of cress ( Rorippa ) that are related to watercress and have yellow flowers. They are not confined to water margins and some are garden weeds
mustard and cress
Mustard and cress is very young mustard plants and cress plants grown together and eaten in salad.
pennycress
any of several plants of the genus Thlaspi of temperate Eurasia and North America, typically having small white or mauve flowers and rounded or heart-shaped leaves: family Brassicaceae ( crucifers )