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

See Examples For:

Red Sea

The 750-mile pipeline carries crude from eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, avoiding shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

The strait is a chokepoint for energy exports through the Red Sea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Fighters from the Iran-backed Houthi group have seized territory close to the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea - a key trade gateway that links Asia and Europe.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

Both Sidi Kerir loadings and ship-to-ship transfers likely will increase under the new Red Sea threat, particularly for Asian customers, said Dylan Mortimer, marine hull U.K. war leader at insurance broker Marsh.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

The journey alone would take two weeks, sailing through the Bay of Biscay, past Gibraltar, across the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, calling in at Aden and arriving finally at Mombasa.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl