bêche-de-mer
Americannoun
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another name for trepang
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See Beach-la-Mar
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The progress of all species of bêche-de-mer is sedate and cautious, and this, probably the longest and the weakest and limpest of all, surpasses the race in deliberateness.
From My Tropic Isle by Banfield, E. J. (Edmund James)
The two active young men were brothers who lived in the next village to his, and the pig had been theirs—so Kwaque narrated in atrocious bêche-de-mer English.
From Michael, Brother of Jerry by London, Jack
In the distance there was the sail of an outgoing vessel—one of the bêche-de-mer boats off on a several months' trip.
From Queensland Cousins by Haverfield, Eleanor Luisa
What he did say was in bêche-de-mer, and his words were: “Any fella Mary he like ’m fight, all fella Mary along Somo fight ’m this fella way.”
From Jerry of the Islands by London, Jack
"Any bodies that went down will be carried by the under current into the next bay," Eustace heard the bêche-de-mer owner explaining to the Cora's crew.
From Queensland Cousins by Haverfield, Eleanor Luisa
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
