[Fr., from L. melo.] A plant of the Gourd family, to which the cucumber also belongs. It is an annual, with trailing stems, angular leaves, yellow flowers, and bearing a large juicy fruit, which possesses a delicious flavor. It is largely cultivated. The native country of the melon is unknown, but there are numerous varieties found throughout Europe, Asia, and America. The two principal kinds of melons in the United States are the musk-melon and the water-melon (citrullus).