litchi

or lee·chee, li·chee, ly·chee

[ lee-chee ]

/ ˈli tʃi /

noun, plural li·tchis.

the fruit of a Chinese tree, Litchi chinensis, of the soapberry family, consisting of a thin, brittle shell enclosing a sweet, jellylike pulp and a single seed.

the tree itself.

Nearby words

lit., lit.b., lit.d., litany, litas, litchi, litchi nut, lite, liter, literacy, literacy hour

Origin of litchi

1580–90; < New Latin < Chinese lìzhi (lì ‘scallion’ + zhī ‘branch’)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lichee

The seed resembles the lichee, and the fruit, which ripens in the ninth month of the year, suggests a resemblance to the Swastika.
The Swastika|Thomas Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for lichee (1 of 2)

lichee

/ (ˌlaɪˈtʃiː) /

noun

a variant spelling of litchi

British Dictionary definitions for lichee (2 of 2)

litchi

lichee, lichi or lychee

/ (ˌlaɪˈtʃiː) /

noun

a Chinese sapindaceous tree, Litchi chinensis, cultivated for its round edible fruits

the fruit of this tree, which has a whitish juicy edible aril

Word Origin for litchi

C16: from Cantonese lai chi

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012