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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Cress \Cress\ (kr[e^]s), noun; 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.
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.
To strip the brook with mantling cresses spread. --Goldsmith.
{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.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
cress
noun
1: any of various plants of the family Cruciferae having edible pungent-tasting leaves [syn: {cress plant}]
2: pungent leaves of any of numerous cruciferous herbs
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