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

To start, master perfumer Honorine Blanc went with sweet notes: lychee and marshmallow. —Pia Velasco, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024

The lightweight mask-conditioner hybrid deeply repairs hair and protects against UV damage thanks to a mix of botanical extracts including watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower. —Mary Honkus, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2024

The former gives raspberry and strawberry notes, while the latter contains lychee and peach flavors. —Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 21 Feb. 2024

This biz brainstorms fanciful flavors—such as vanilla bean ice cream perfumed with a hint of jasmine and lychee jellies; mellow jackfruit cream with lightly roasted chili cashew nuts; and mango ice cream with peach-mango fruit swirls and pie crust crunch. —Laura Manske, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

Since at least the Qing dynasty, Chinese parents would place fruits like mandarin oranges, lychees, dates, or persimmons beside the pillows of their children, along with red envelopes containing money under the pillow, to ward off folkloric monsters. —TIME, 2 Feb. 2024

Notes: Champagne, bergamot, rose, lychee, cedarwood, white musk Sizes: 1.7 oz., 0.34 oz. —Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 24 Jan. 2024

For the former, head to Pierre Hermé, where flavors like Ispahan (rose, lychee, and raspberry) and Agra (praline and mild curry) will absolutely ruin you for the mediocre macarons peddled elsewhere in the city. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2023

Sentimental and heartfelt, Cancers may enjoy something with a hint of sweetness, like a Riesling featuring honey or lychee aromas, Brown says. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Beijing) lìzhī

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lychee

• lychee nut

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"