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Glite Dictionary
Lepidium sativum

Lepidium sativum

7.9
A small herb with peppery leaves used in salads and as a garnish
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Lepidium sativum
  • The chef sprinkled Lepidium sativum over the dish to add a peppery note.

Examples

  • I added Lepidium sativum to my salad for extra flavor.

  • Many gardeners grow Lepidium sativum for easy access to its flavorful leaves.

  • Fresh Lepidium sativum is often included in spring salads for its crisp texture.

  • Have you ever tried Lepidium sativum in your dishes?

  • Fresh Lepidium sativum is often included in spring salads for its crisp texture.

  • Many gardeners grow Lepidium sativum for easy access to its flavorful leaves.

  • The chef sprinkled Lepidium sativum over the dish to add a peppery note.

Synonyms

cress
vsLepidium sativum
4 3.2

A small plant with spicy leaves eaten raw in salads

is the precise species name used for the specific garden variety
common garden cress
vsLepidium sativum
3.2

A small fast-growing herb with peppery leaves used in salads and as a garnish

is the botanical name used in scientific contexts rather than a common name
garden cress
vsLepidium sativum
3.7

A plant with spicy leaves that grows quickly and is used in salads

is the formal species name used in scientific description
garden pepper cress
vsLepidium sativum
7.0

A small plant with spicy leaves used to add flavor to salads and decorate food

is the standard species name without focusing on peppery cultivars
pepperwort
vsLepidium sativum
9.8

A small herb with peppery leaves used raw in salads

is the species name that points to the single common garden variety

Surface Forms

Lepidium sativum singular
Lepidia sativa plural

Morphology

Lepidium + sativum

This is a Latin binomial (genus + species): knowing 'Lepidium' would signal to a learner that the term names a plant in that genus (so it is inferable as a type of Lepidium/garden cress). However, the species epithet 'sativum' is Latin and not a productive English word for a B1 learner, and scientific names are specialized; therefore the exact sense ('garden cress') is not fully predictable from everyday vocabulary.

Etymology

Lepidium sativum is the plant's scientific name; the second word sativum comes from a Latin word meaning 'sown' because gardeners would sow its tiny seeds. The plant is the common 'garden cress' with peppery leaves used as a 'salad green', so the name reminds us how it is grown and eaten.