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

The rich-girl scent from a French fragrance house contains notes of lychee, peach, orange blossom and musk. —Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026

The Pearl Revolver, an accessory Roosevelt was famous for carrying, uses the late president’s favorite tea, Lapsang Souchong, in simple syrup form, with lychee and Beluga Gold Line vodka. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026

The Beverly Hills Hotel is a lychee martini with coconut, peach and a cherry blossom. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

There will also be frozen cocktails and shareable drinks like Spill the Tea, a punch with vodka, nigori sake, lychee, jasmine and citrus. —Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026

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"