beche de mer

3 definitions found

beche de mer - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Holothurian \Hol`o*thu"ri*an\, a. (Zool.)
     Belonging to the Holothurioidea. -- n. One of the
     Holothurioidea.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: Some of the species of Holothurians are called sea cucumbers
           , sea slugs, trepang, and b[^e]che de m[`e]r
           . Many are used as food, esp. by the Chinese.
           See Trepang.
           [1913 Webster]

  Trepang \Tre*pang"\, n. [Malay tr[imac]pang.] (Zool.)
     Any one of several species of large holothurians, some of
     which are dried and extensively used as food in China; --
     called also b[^e]che de mer, sea cucumber, and sea slug
     . [Written also tripang.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The edible trepangs are mostly large species of
           Holothuria, especially Holothuria edulis. They are
           taken in vast quantities in the East Indies, where they
           are dried and smoked, and then shipped to China. They
           are used as an ingredient in certain kinds of soup.
           [1913 Webster]

  Beche de mer \B[^e]che` de mer"\ [F., lit., a sea spade.]
     (Zool.)
     The trepang.
     [1913 Webster]