litchi

American  

[lee-chee] / ˈli tʃi /

Or leechee,

noun

plural

litchis

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.

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litchi British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of litchi

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

Example Sentences

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

From Washington Post • Aug. 16, 2022

New Yorkers welcomed speckled Asian pears; papaya with its lode of dripping black seeds; rough-skinned litchi disclosing creamy white flesh; knobby cherimoya with guts of custard; star fruit with its sharp angles and plasticized shine.

From New York Times • Apr. 16, 2018

The wine has some of the flowery, litchi character Gewurz is known for, but it’s sneaky — those qualities emerge only as the wine opens and warms.

From Washington Post • Feb. 9, 2018

“It’s kind of a bit like litchi but has a rose flavor to it and pairs well with strawberries. I’d add just a little bit of lime juice and maybe one pear, sliced thinly.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2015

Of these fruits the litchi, whampee, averoha, longan, vi-apple, and Chinese mangosteen are practically confined to the North.

From Fruits of Queensland by Benson, Albert H.