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

Or drink lychee martinis while the ladies of Love Is Blind DC discuss D.C. dating, Thursday at 8pm (free). —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025

Plus, its signature Melrose Place scent—a velvety blend of rose, bergamot, lychee, and white musk—makes every wash feel indulgent. —Erin Parker, Allure, 3 Jan. 2025

Its drink menu includes boba tea, lattes, Americanos, Vietnamese coffee and lychee tea. 85°C Bakery Cafe was founded in 2003 after Cheng-Hsueh Wu visited a cafe in a five-star hotel and was taken aback by its expensive prices, according to the chain’s website. —Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025

Here, that strong brew can be mixed with a variety of milks, including ube, and topped with options that range from oolong boba to lychee jelly. —Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025

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"