litchi

or lee·chee, li·chee, ly·chee

[lee-chee]

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.

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 lychee

Contemporary Examples of lychee

Lychee Martini by Susan Waggoner The cocktail expert helps start the party with a new and delicious twist on the classic martini.
What to Eat: Chinese New Year Feast
Cookstr.com
February 9, 2010

Historical Examples of lychee

The banks are lined with orange and lemon trees, peaches and lychee.
The 'Fan Kwae' at Canton Before Treaty Days 1825-1844
William C. Hunter

British Dictionary definitions for lychee

lychee

noun

a variant spelling of litchi

litchi

lichee, lichi or lychee

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