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

Just as Vacation’s sunscreens smell like nostalgic summer memories, The Ryder's Palm Blossom cocktail delivers olfactory time travel through Grey Goose Vodka, jasmine, apricot, grapefruit and lychee soda—capturing summer's essence through scent alone. —Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025

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

Infused with watermelon, lychee, edelweiss flower, and silver fir extracts, the silver shampoo burnishes yellowing strands with a mix of blue and silver pigments. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 28 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

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"