watercress

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a water-loving plant, especially Nasturtium officinale, whose peppery green leaves are eaten in salads or used as a garnish

   She added fresh watercress to the salad for a peppery bite.

From Middle English water cresse and water-kresse, a compound of water + cress. Cress descends from Old English cressa or cærse and has Germanic relatives such as Dutch kers and German Kresse. The compound names the plant for its natural habitat in clear streams and other shallow fresh water.

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