| Noun | 1. | Melissa officinalis - bushy perennial Old World mint having small white or yellowish flowers and fragrant lemon-flavored leaves; a garden escapee in northern Europe and North Americalemon balm - lemony leaves used for a tisane or in soups or fruit punches herb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests genus Melissa, Melissa - a genus of Old World mints of the family Labiatae |