ˌbeshdəˈme(ə)r, ˌbā- noun
Etymology: French, literally, sea grub
1. pl bêche-de-mer “ or bêches-de-mer -sh(ə̇z)d- : trepang
2. usually capitalized B&M
[so called from the trepang's having been an important commercial item in these islands, its designation thus becoming a type-word to designate the pidgin]
: a pidgin based on English and used as a lingua franca in New Guinea, the Bismarck archipelago, the Solomon islands, and other islands nearby