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

Most local shops also offer refrigerators with grab-and-go cold drinks, such as cans of coconut, lychee and tamarind juice. —Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025

Deep golden yellow; textbook aromas of lychee, grapefruit, ginger and yellow roses. —Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Two Medjool dates contain 3.2 grams of fiber and 7% of the DV for potassium The lychee, or litchi, is a subtropical fruit with red, bumpy skin and soft, milky white flesh. —Lauren O'Connor, Health, 11 Aug. 2025

Try eating it like this: Peel and pit fresh lychees for a naturally sweet, juicy snack. —Morgan Pearson, Verywell Health, 28 July 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"