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.

Origin of litchi

1
First recorded in 1580–90; from New Latin, from Chinese lìzhi ( “scallion” + zhī “branch”)

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British Dictionary definitions for litchi

litchi

lichee, lichi or lychee

/ (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

Origin of litchi

1
C16: from Cantonese lai chi

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012