noun
lychee
LIE-chee
Lychee (noun) means a small, bright red fruit with a single stone surrounded by soft white flesh. Example: “She peeled a lychee and ate the white flesh.”
noun
1
A small, bright red fruit with a single stone surrounded by soft white flesh.
"She peeled a lychee and ate the white flesh."
"Lychees are often served chilled at the end of a meal."
"The tinned lychees came in a sweet syrup."
2
The tropical Chinese fruit tree, Litchi chinensis, that bears this fruit.
"The lychee is a tropical tree of the soapberry family."
"A lychee grows in the corner of the orchard."
How to use lychee
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA sweet red fruit with white flesh and one stone.
When to use it
It is an everyday food word.
Common pairings
fresh lychees
tinned lychees
lychee juice
lychee flesh
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She peeled a _____ and ate the white flesh.
Etymology
The word comes from Cantonese and Hokkien words written 荔枝, which give the different pronunciations.
Synonyms
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litchi
Rhymes for lychee
See all rhymes for lychee →Frequently asked questions
What is a lychee?
It is a bright red fruit with a single stone surrounded by white flesh. It grows on a tropical tree of the soapberry family.
How do you spell lychee?
Lychee is the common spelling, with lichee, lichi and litchi recorded as variants.
How do you pronounce lychee?
It is usually said LIE-chee, though the pronunciation LEE-chee is also recorded.
What is the meaning of lychee?
"lychee" (noun) means a small, bright red fruit with a single stone surrounded by soft white flesh.
