lychee

noun

ly·​chee ˈlē-(ˌ)chē  ˈlī- 

variants or litchi or less commonly lichee

1

or lychee nut or litchi nut or less commonly lichee nut : the small, oval to roundish fruit of a Chinese tree (Litchi chinensis) of the soapberry family having a rough or warty, yellow, pink, or reddish leathery rind and sweet to slightly acidic usually whitish edible flesh that surrounds a single large seed

Note: The lychee, grown commercially in tropical and subtropical regions, is a type of fruit called a drupe, and its edible flesh is the fruit's aril.

2

: a slow-growing tree that bears lychees and has glossy, leathery leaves and terminal clusters of tiny, apetalous, greenish-white to yellow flowers

Examples of lychee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Strain into the chilled glass and garnish with a whole lychee or lemon twist. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

This classic Alsatian varietal’s is rich with tropical notes—lychee, peaches—and exotic floral notes. —Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

More light than overpowering, with delicate notes of rose, peony, sparkling lychee, warm woods, and a hint of pink musk, this is everything sweet, soft, and fresh. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2024

Customers can choose from ten different iced green tea options and almost double the flavors of milk tea including mocha, jasmine, sakura rose or lychee milk tea, before adding boba toppings. —Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 19 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Beijing) lìzhī

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lychee

noun

ly·​chee

variants or litchi also lichee

ˈlē-(ˌ)chē,

ˈlī-

1

: the oval fruit of a Chinese tree related to the soapberries and having a hard reddish outer covering and sweet whitish edible flesh surrounding a single large seed

called also lychee nut

2

: a tree bearing lychees

Etymology

from Chinese lìzhī "lychee"