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

Saudi Arabia, for example, is rerouting some of its crude through a pipeline to a Red Sea port, and likely won’t fully return to exporting most of its crude through the strait, Smith said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

Those frustrations worsened a growing divide between the two Gulf powers, which were already vying for influence over the Red Sea on opposite sides of conflicts in Sudan and Yemen.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Maritime tracking platform MarineTraffic lists the shipowner as Red Sea Ship Management, a company based in Dubai.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea shipping routes supported demand for air transport, analysts said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Jerry’s progress through the corridor was like the parting of the Red Sea.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier