What is "town cress"

Town \Town\, n. [OE. toun, tun, AS. tun inclosure, fence, village, town; akin to D. tuin a garden, G. zaun a hadge, fence, OHG. zun, Icel. tun an inclosure, homestead, house, Ir. & Gael. dun a fortress, W. din. Cf. Down, adv. & prep., Dune, tine to inclose.]

1. Formerly:

   1. An inclosure which surrounded the mere homestead or dwelling of the lord of the manor. [Obs.]

   2. The whole of the land which constituted the domain.

   3. A collection of houses inclosed by fences or walls. [Obs.]
      --Palsgrave.

2. Any number or collection of houses to which belongs a regular market, and which is not a city or the see of a bishop. [Eng.]
   --Johnson.

3. Any collection of houses larger than a village, and not incorporated as a city; also, loosely, any large, closely populated place, whether incorporated or not, in distinction from the country, or from rural communities.

   God made the country, and man made the town.
   --Cowper.

4. The body of inhabitants resident in a town; as, the town voted to send two representatives to the legislature; the town voted to lay a tax for repairing the highways.

5. A township; the whole territory within certain limits, less than those of a country. [U. S.]

6. The court end of London; -- commonly with the.

7. The metropolis or its inhabitants; as, in winter the gentleman lives in town; in summer, in the country.

   Always hankering after the diversions of the town.
   --Addison.

   Stunned with his giddy larum half the town.
   --Pope.

   Note: The same form of expressions is used in regard to other populous towns.

8. A farm or farmstead; also, a court or farmyard. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Note: Town is often used adjectively or in combination with other words; as, town clerk, or town-clerk; town-crier, or town crier; townhall, town-hall, or town hall; townhouse, town house, or town-house. Syn: Village; hamlet. See Village. Town clerk, an office who keeps the records of a town, and enters its official proceedings. See Clerk. Town cress (Bot.), the garden cress, or peppergrass. --Dr. Prior. Town house.

   1. A house in town, in distinction from a house in the country.

   2. See Townhouse.

      Town meeting, a legal meeting of the inhabitants of a town entitled to vote, for the transaction of public bisiness.

      Town talk, the common talk of a place; the subject or topic of common conversation.

n. The garden cress, or peppergrass.