'Nasturtium' definitions:
Definition of 'nasturtium'
(from WordNet)
noun
Any tropical American plant of the genus Tropaeolum having pungent juice and long-spurred yellow to red flowers
noun
Aquatic herbs [syn: Nasturtium, genus Nasturtium]
noun
Flowers and seeds and leaves all used as flavorings
Definition of 'Nasturtium'
From: GCIDE
- Nasturtium \Nas*tur"tium\, n. [L. nasturtium, for nasitortium, fr. nasus nose + torquere, tortum, to twist, torture, in allusion to the causing one to make a wry face by its pungent taste. See Nose of the face, and Torture.]
- 1. (Bot.) A genus of cruciferous plants, having white or yellowish flowers, including several species of cress. They are found chiefly in wet or damp grounds, and have a pungent biting taste. [1913 Webster]
- 2. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Tropaeolum, geraniaceous herbs, having mostly climbing stems, peltate leaves, and spurred flowers, and including the common Indian cress (Tropaeolum majus), the canary-bird flower ({Tropaeolum peregrinum}), and about thirty more species, all natives of South America. The whole plant has a warm pungent flavor, and the fleshy fruits are used as a substitute for capers, while the leaves and flowers are sometimes used in salads. [1913 Webster]