litchi

or lee·chee, li·chee, ly·chee

[ lee-chee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural li·tchis.

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.
the tree itself.

litchi

/ ˌlaɪˈtʃiː /

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

Origin of litchi¹

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

Origin of litchi¹

C16: from Cantonese lai chi

About him were golden limes, ginger in syrup, litchi nuts, pickled leeches.

By some of the earlier botanical works the litchi is placed either in the genus Dimocarpus or Euphoria.

Or in ivory chopsticks, oolong tea, imitation jade, litchi nuts and preserved leeches!

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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