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cress

American  
[kres] / krɛs /

noun

  1. any of various plants of the mustard family, especially the watercress, having pungent-tasting leaves often used for salad and as a garnish.

  2. any of various similar plants.


cress British  
/ krɛs /

noun

  1. 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of cress

before 900; Middle English cresse, Old English cress ( a ), cresse; cognate with Dutch kers, German Kresse

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

To better understand the molecular pathways that allow ABA to increase, the research team analyzed public RNA sequencing data on thale cress, or Arabidopsis thaliana.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 11, 2024

So far, nearly 200 plants have been trialled and several new candidate plants, including pak choi, cress and kale, were found suitable.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2023

And if you have some spare time, growing your own cress for your egg sandwiches could also be a fun project for the family - as well as cheaper than buying it from the supermarket.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2023

Scientists know a lot about the DNA of thale cress, which helps them understand how it reacts to the soil it’s planted in.

From NewsForKids.net ● May 24, 2022

Take some of the cress with your chop; it’s so biting and crisp.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

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