Water-cress

[Cf. MLG., MDu. waterkerse, G. wasserkresse.]

  1.  The hardy perennial, Nasturtium officinale (N. O. Cruciferæ), found in abundance near springs and in small running streams, and now widely cultivated for use as a salad. Also applied to other species of Nasturtium.

  Often in plural, esp. as denoting an article of food: in the 17th and 18th c. the sing. is hardly found.

  a.  sing.

a. 1400–50.  Stockh. Med. MS., p. 209. Watercresse, nascorium gallicanum.

a. 1425.  trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc. (1910), 76. Þise bene herbez necessary to þe werk of clistry, scilicet Violette, maluez,… watercresse.

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, II. xvii. 201. Water Cresse being boiled in wine [etc.] … is verie good against the scuruie.

1599.  A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 75/2. To make sownde Teeth. Take Watercresse, and rubbe the same with wine, and heerwith washe your mouth often times.

1796.  Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), III. 581. Sisymbrium sylvestre,… Creeping Water Cress.

1800.  E. Darwin, Phytol., xi. 269. In the winter months the rise of springs may be detected by the presence of aquatic plants, as of water-cress.

1881.  F. G. Heath, My Garden Wild, xiii. 216. I grew in my stream, some Watercress, whose pinnate leaves are so frequently eaten that they must be quite sufficiently familiar to everybody.

1902.  Cornish, Naturalist Thames, 124. The artificial culture of water-cress is comparatively modern.

  b.  pl.

13[?].  K. Alis., 5767. Withinne grene and mychel weed, Waterkressen and heighe reed.

c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 352. Seþe malue, paritorie, violet, watircressen in watir & lete þe patient sitte þeron anoon to þe nauele.

c. 1450.  Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.), 165. Senacio, narstucium aquaticum idem,… watercresses.

1528.  Paynell, Reg. Sanit. Salerni (1541), 85. Watercresses doth cure tothe ache.

1590.  Lodge, Euphues Golden Legacie (1592), O 2. My Loues shall growe vp as the water Cresses, slowly, but with a deepe roote.

1611.  Shuttleworths’ Acc. (Chetham Soc.), 196. Given to a man which gott the watercresses and brooke lime, vj^d.

1725.  Bradley’s Family Dict., s.v. Cress, Water-Cresses have a sharp and biting Taste.

1799.  Southey, Cross Roads, 8. There were water-cresses growing, And pleasant was the water’s flowing.

1834.  Dickens, Sk. Boz, Boarding-ho., ii. Tibbs … began eating water-cresses like a Nebuchadnezzar.

1851–61.  Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 145/1. The first coster-cry heard of a morning in the London streets is that of ‘Fresh wo-orter-creases.’

1860.  Longf., Wayside Inn, Saga K. Olaf, vii. 24. He loved … his brook with its water-cresses.

  2.  Applied (chiefly as book-names) to some other cruciferous plants, esp. Cardamine amara, C. pratensis, and Helioscadium nodiflorum.

a. 1400–50.  Stockh. Med. MS., p. 167. Watercresse, Apium ranarum.

1538.  Turner, Libellus, Cresses, water, Cardamine. Ibid. (1548), Names of Herbes (E. D. S.), 47. Lauer or Sion is called of some englishe men Bellragges, of other some yealowe watercresses.

1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, V. lx. 625. The seconde kinde is called … in Englishe, the lesser Watercresse, and Coccow flowers.

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, II. xviii. 201. There be sixe kindes of wilde herbes numbered among the water Cresse which followe in order.

1866.  Treas. Bot., 347. Cress, American Water. Cardamine rotundifolia.

  3.  attrib. and Comb. as water-cress-bed, -gatherer, -growing vbl. sb.; water-cress green, a particular shade of green.

1906.  Daily Chron., 21 Aug., 7/6. Extensive *watercress beds.

1902.  Cornish, Naturalist Thames, 125. A notice warning off the poor *water-cress gatherer, who was supposed to poach the fish.

1884.  Daily News, 27 Oct., 2/1. A costume of this in *watercress green is made.

1902.  Cornish, Naturalist Thames, 124. *Water-cress growing is an increasing business in the Thames Valley.

1858.  Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Water-cress seller.

  Hence Watercressed, Watercressy adjs. (nonce-wds.), containing or abounding in water-cress.

1828.  Wilson, in Blackw. Mag., XXIV. 284. Over all the water-cressy and puddocky ditches.

1845.  Talfourd, Vac. Tourists, I. 91. We walked on beside a little water-cressed stream.