litchi

American  

[lee-chee] / ˈli tʃi /

Or leechee,

noun

litchis plural

1. 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.

2. the tree itself.

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litchi British  

/ ˌlaɪˈtʃiː /

noun

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

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• litchis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of litchi

First recorded in 1580–90; from New Latin, from Chinese lìzhi ( lì “scallion” + zhī “branch”)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

litchi litchis

I brought a friend recently who tried a strawberry lemonade green tea with litchi popping bobas, and she mentioned that it wasn’t overpoweringly sweet the way she had feared.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 25, 2021

New Yorkers welcomed speckled Asian pears; papaya with its lode of dripping black seeds; rough-skinned litchi disclosing creamy white flesh; knobby cherimoya with guts of custard; star fruit with its sharp angles and plasticized shine.

From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2018

“It’s kind of a bit like litchi but has a rose flavor to it and pairs well with strawberries. I’d add just a little bit of lime juice and maybe one pear, sliced thinly.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2015

“I really like litchi, longan and rambutan—you have to peel them and take out the big kernel inside but it’s worth it,” says Ms. Chaignot, who is especially partial to longans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2015

The twenty-five acre site, by a large bathing pond, includes one of the finest orchards in India-five hundred fruit trees-mango, guava, litchi, jackfruit, date.

From Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda, Paramahansa

Gunawan brought us a breakfast of eggs, steamed by the volcano, and sliced bananas nestled in soft white bread, plus an assortment of TimTam cookies and litchis still in their shells.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 12, 2020

Already I’m plotting to have litchis, pork sausage, habanero and peanuts — a long-running hit at Rose’s — in the comfort of my own nest.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 20, 2019

Of Borba's Replenishing water with litchi she wrote in an email, "If you need to replenish, drink plain water or enjoy it with slices of lemon," describing litchis as "delicious but not magical."

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 2011

Standouts among the cool and fruity desserts include a mango lassi topped with litchis and lemon-basil granita as well as a sweet coconut cream balanced by tart passion fruit sorbet.

From New York Times ● Jul. 21, 2010

Certain bacteria and yeasts found in fermented milk, rotting litchis and other foods can combat common infections, including travelers' diarrhea and vaginitis.

From Time Magazine Archive