lichee

1 of 3

noun (1)

li·​chee

less common spelling of lychee

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

litchi

2 of 3

noun (2)

li·​tchi

variant spelling of lychee

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
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

Examples of lichee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
So prized is litchi in China that fruit from select varieties typically sells for as much as $10 per fruit. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 13 Dec. 2025
Noun
Who knew damask rose, lily of the valley, peony, rhubarb, lychee, and vanilla were the perfect pairing? Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026 Folks who prefer a mocktail can go with a lychee/elderflower soda or a pandan sparkler – pandan shows up on the menu a couple of times, including in a variation of an Old Fashioned. John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lichee

Word History

Etymology

Noun (3)

Chinese (Beijing) lìzhī

First Known Use

Noun (3)

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lichee was in 1588

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lichee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lichee. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

lichee

variant of lychee

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