/lee"chee/ , n. , pl. 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.
Also, leechee, lichee .
[ 1580-90; lìzhi ( lì scallion + zhi branch) ]