litchi

or lee·chee, li·chee, ly·chee

[ lee-chee ]

noun

, plural li·tchis.

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.

litchi

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of litchi¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of litchi¹

C16: from Cantonese lai chi

Example Sentences

About him were golden limes, ginger in syrup, litchi nuts, pickled leeches.

From Project Gutenberg

By some of the earlier botanical works the litchi is placed either in the genus Dimocarpus or Euphoria.

From Project Gutenberg

Or in ivory chopsticks, oolong tea, imitation jade, litchi nuts and preserved leeches!

From Project Gutenberg