bêche-de-mer

[ besh-duh-mair, beysh- ]
/ ˌbɛʃ dəˈmɛər, ˌbeɪʃ- /

noun, plural bêch·es-de-mer, (especially collectively) bêche-de-mer for 1.

a trepang.
Often Bêche-de-Mer. Neo-Melanesian.

Origin of bêche-de-mer

1805–15; erroneously for French biche de mer < Portuguese bicho do mar literally, animal of the sea; cf. Beach-la-Mar

Words nearby bêche-de-mer

Example sentences from the Web for beche-de-mer

British Dictionary definitions for beche-de-mer

bêche-de-mer
/ (ˌbɛʃdəˈmɛə) /

noun plural bêches-de-mer (ˌbɛʃdəˈmɛə) or bêche-de-mer

another name for trepang

Word Origin for bêche-de-mer

C19: quasi-French, from earlier English biche de mer, from Portuguese bicho do mar worm of the sea