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 moisturizing formula keeps your lips soft all day, and the fragrance notes of lychee blossom, rose petals, and vanilla orchid leaves behind a gentle, comforting scent. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026

Enjoy watching the players battle it out on a giant projector while imbibing a Dope AF lychee martini or PB&J Old Fashioned. —Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 16 Jan. 2026

Infused with prebiotics and lychee, Glacier Crush is one of seven sugar-free energy drinks Bloom offers now. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 14 Jan. 2026

The hills of their property are stacked with a variety of fruit and nut trees–from apples, pears, avocados and pistachios to lychees, mangoes, pecans and chestnuts. —Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2025

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"