Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Nasturtium officinale

Nasturtium officinale

6.7
A leafy green plant often called watercress that grows in clean streams and tastes peppery
  • noun
  • /næˈstɜrʃəm ˌɒfɪˈsɪnəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : berro
  • Fresh Nasturtium officinale is often used in salads for its peppery taste.

Examples

  • The chef garnished the soup with chopped Nasturtium officinale from his garden.

  • Nasturtium officinale thrives in clean, running streams and is harvested throughout the summer.

  • I love adding Nasturtium officinale to my salads.

  • Have you tried Nasturtium officinale in your dishes?

  • Fresh Nasturtium officinale is often used in salads for its peppery taste.

  • The chef garnished the soup with chopped Nasturtium officinale from his garden.

  • I love adding Nasturtium officinale to my salads.

Synonyms

watercress
vsNasturtium officinale
7 2.6

A small leafy plant that grows in water used in salads

is the formal botanical Latin name used in scientific contexts
common watercress
vsNasturtium officinale
3.8

A leafy plant that grows in water with a peppery taste, often used in salads

is the formal botanical Latin name used as the standard scientific label
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum
vsNasturtium officinale
9.4

A leafy water plant with small peppery leaves used in salads

is the widely accepted botanical Latin name used as the standard

Surface Forms

Nasturtium officinale singular
Nasturtium officinales plural

Morphology

Nasturtium + officinale

This is a Latin binomial rather than a normal English compound; a learner who knows 'Nasturtium' (a plant genus) and 'officinale' (an adjectival species label often meaning medicinal) can infer it names a plant species with medicinal/useful properties. However, the specific referent (watercress), its typical habitat and culinary uses are not directly predictable without knowledge of botanical naming conventions or prior exposure, so the transparency is partial.

Etymology

Nasturtium officinale may come from old Latin: nastur- ('nose') and officinale ('used in medicine'). One popular story says the plant's peppery leaves make your nose 'twist' or tingle, so the name is like a 'nose-twister', and the second word shows it was once used by doctors — that helps you remember it is the spicy watercress we eat today.