watercress vs cress

watercress and cress both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
watercress	Yes	Yes	No	No
cress	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, cress is a hypernym of watercress; that is, cress is a word with a broader meaning than watercress:

As nouns, cress is a hypernym of watercress; that is, cress is a word with a broader meaning than watercress:

watercress: any of several water-loving cresses
cress: any of various plants of the family Cruciferae with edible leaves that have a pungent taste

Other hypernyms of watercress include cress plant.

watercress (noun)	cress (noun)
cresses that grow in clear ponds and streams	pungent leaves of any of numerous cruciferous herbs
any of several water-loving cresses	any of various plants of the family Cruciferae with edible leaves that have a pungent taste

watercress (adjective)	cress (adjective)
of a moderate yellow-green color that is greener and deeper than moss green and yellower and darker than pea green