Melissa \Me*lis"sa\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. me`lissa a bee, honey.] (Bot.) A genus of labiate herbs, including the balm, or bee balm ({Melissa officinalis}).
Melissa officinalis n : bushy perennial Old World mint having small white or yellowish flowers and fragrant lemon-flavored leaves; a garden escapee in northern Europe and North America [syn: {lemon balm}, {garden balm}, {sweet balm}, {bee balm}, {beebalm}]