bêche-de-mer

See also: Bêche-de-Mer

English

Alternative forms

• bêche de mer

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French bêche-de-mer.

Noun

bêche-de-mer (plural bêches-de-mer)

1. Synonym of sea cucumber.
   • 2020, Sujit Sivasundaram, Waves Across the South, William Collins, published 2021, page 18:

     The Hunter had called in at Fiji to collect sandalwood and bêche de mer on a voyage between Calcutta and New South Wales.

French

Etymology

Calque of Portuguese bicho-do-mar (“sea worm”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛʃ.də.mɛʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

bêche-de-mer f (plural bêches-de-mer)

1. sea cucumber

   Synonyms: concombre de mer, holothurie

Descendants

• → English: bêche-de-mer