lychee
noun
ly·chee ˈlē-(ˌ)chē 
ˈlī-
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Extremely aromatic on the nose, with hints of grapefruit on the palate, this one has teeth-chattering acidity and notes of lemon-lime, passion fruit and lychee. 
Aaron Goldfarb, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 Or Vana retreat in India, set on the slopes of a lychee and mango plantation, is an international ashram, a wellness retreat and sanctuary. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 18 May 2022 The vegan cocktails spotlight Asian ingredients such as lychee and five-spice. Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2022 Screening of Thailand’s shipments of longan—a fleshy lychee-like fruit—led to the quarantining of sellers, buyers and store visitors earlier this month. Niharika Mandhana, WSJ, 18 Jan. 2022 For gifts during holidays, CATL sends lychee and loquat fruit grown on Ningde’s outskirts. New York Times, 22 Dec. 2021 Aromas of brown sugar and hints of lychee with a satiny, crisp, dryish light body and breezy hints of vanilla, caramel pudding, and Bananas Foster finish. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2021 But garnished with a glossy lychee, the martini embodied the delicate sweetness of the fruit with its floral and vanilla flavors. Tirion Morris, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2021 The bulbs themselves had a crisp flesh and were a little sour, while the syrup had a lychee-like taste. Andi Berlin, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2021 See More
Aaron Goldfarb, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 Or Vana retreat in India, set on the slopes of a lychee and mango plantation, is an international ashram, a wellness retreat and sanctuary. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 18 May 2022 The vegan cocktails spotlight Asian ingredients such as lychee and five-spice. Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2022 Screening of Thailand’s shipments of longan—a fleshy lychee-like fruit—led to the quarantining of sellers, buyers and store visitors earlier this month. Niharika Mandhana, WSJ, 18 Jan. 2022 For gifts during holidays, CATL sends lychee and loquat fruit grown on Ningde’s outskirts. New York Times, 22 Dec. 2021 Aromas of brown sugar and hints of lychee with a satiny, crisp, dryish light body and breezy hints of vanilla, caramel pudding, and Bananas Foster finish. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2021 But garnished with a glossy lychee, the martini embodied the delicate sweetness of the fruit with its floral and vanilla flavors. Tirion Morris, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2021 The bulbs themselves had a crisp flesh and were a little sour, while the syrup had a lychee-like taste. Andi Berlin, The Arizona Republic, 16 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Chinese (Beijing) lìzhī
First Known Use
1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1