American cress
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən krɛs/
:
berro americano
- Young leaves of American cress are often used as a garnish or in sandwiches.
Examples
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The farmer specializes in growing American cress alongside other leafy greens.
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I added chopped American cress to the salad for a peppery kick.
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I love using American cress in my salads.
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Have you tried American cress before?
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I added chopped American cress to the salad for a peppery kick.
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The farmer specializes in growing American cress alongside other leafy greens.
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Young leaves of American cress are often used as a garnish or in sandwiches.
Synonyms
A small leafy plant with peppery, edible leaves used in salads
A leafy plant grown for salad greens with a peppery taste
A leafy plant like watercress with small spicy leaves used in salads
A leafy plant with yellow flowers eaten in winter salads
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is a straightforward composition of 'American' (relating to the Americas) + 'cress' (an edible salad herb), so its referent as a variety or type of cress is directly inferable. A B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand this denotes a kind of edible plant without needing specialized botanical knowledge.
Etymology
American cress probably started when growers used cress, the common word for small peppery salad greens, together with American to mark a type thought to be 'from America'. That's why the name refers to a particular edible, peppery leaf used in salads and sandwiches.
