litchi

or lee·chee, li·chee, ly·chee

[ lee-chee ]

noun

, plural li·tchis.

1. the fruit of a Chinese tree, Litchi chinensis, of the soapberry family, consisting of a thin, brittle shell enclosing a sweet, jellylike pulp and a single seed.
2. the tree itself.

litchi

/ ˌlaɪˈtʃiː /

noun

1. a Chinese sapindaceous tree, Litchi chinensis, cultivated for its round edible fruits
2. the fruit of this tree, which has a whitish juicy edible aril

Word History and Origins

Origin of litchi¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from New Latin, from Chinese lìzhi ( lì “scallion” + zhī “branch”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of litchi¹

C16: from Cantonese lai chi

Example Sentences

Refill my glass, please, and I’ll try to smell the litchi.

From Washington Post

Baan Siam: Frozen litchi vodka cocktails are on the restaurant week takeout and delivery menu at chef Jeeraporn Poksupthong’s Baan Siam, where $70 gets you two drinks, two appetizers, two entrees and one dessert from one of D.C.’s best Thai restaurants.

From Washington Post

Alongside the garden’s strutting peacocks, the notebook-wielding jury members sniff and scope their way through the alleyways, the noses among them decrypting the precise litchi, citrus and clove notes of the flowers.

From Washington Post

But when done right, as here by Gundlach Bundschu, the grape yields a tightly knit wine with hints of litchi and a scent of jasmine and honeysuckle.

From Washington Post

At Seltzerland, drinkers could try out Two Robbers, a Philadelphia-based brand that describes itself as “part beverage company, part art project” and features such varieties as watermelon-cucumber, and Drunk Fruit, a label founded by Asian American friends that boasts blends of yuzu and litchi.

From Washington Post