Red Sea

American  

noun

1. an arm of the Indian Ocean, extending northwest between Africa and Arabia: connected to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal. 1,450 miles (2,335 kilometers) long; 170,000 square miles (440,300 square kilometers); greatest depth, 7,254 feet (2,211 meters).

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Red Sea British  

noun

1. a long narrow sea between Arabia and NE Africa, linked with the Mediterranean in the north by the Suez Canal and with the Indian Ocean in the south: occasionally reddish in appearance through algae. Area: 438 000 sq km (169 000 sq miles)

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Red Sea Cultural  

1. Narrow sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

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Discover More

According to the Bible (see also Bible), the Red Sea's waters parted to allow the Israelites, led by Moses, to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. The “Red Sea” of the biblical account, however, seems more likely to have been the marshy Sea of Reeds than the present-day Red Sea.

Probably named for the red algae that are sometimes present in its waters.

Etymology

Origin of Red Sea

Translation of Latin Mare Rubrum, from Greek Erythrà Thálassa “Red Sea,” a translation of Hebrew Yam Sūph “Sea of Reeds.” The reason for Erythrà (Thálassa) is unknown; perhaps Erythrà refers to seasonal blooms of red algae on the on the surface of the water, or to ancient associations of “red” with “south,” (as “black” with “north,” as in “Black Sea”)

Example Sentences

“With global commodity trade already facing notable logistical snares due to the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a resumption in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea would add yet another layer of complexity.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Saudi Arabia said recently that its East-West pipeline, which sends energy exports to a port in the Red Sea, had reached its maximum capacity of 7 million barrels a day.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Giant container ships ply sea lanes skirting the archipelago's southern tip, where roughly a third of global maritime trade transits between Asia, Africa, the Gulf and the Red Sea.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

The BBC has previously reported how these vessels are based in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman so security guards can easily collect and drop off weapons and ammunition.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

According to tradition—and it does not much matter whether it really happened—he descended beneath the Red Sea in the world’s first diving bell.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan