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 has bypassed Hormuz by shipping about 4.5 million barrels a day from the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

In late 2023, Houthi drone and missile attacks all but halted traffic through the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The attacks raised concern about the war spreading to the Red Sea, with Saudi Arabia rerouting much of its oil exports there to avoid Hormuz.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Crucially, they control the Yemen's Red Sea coastline.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Like the Red Sea parting for Moses, the crowd at the bottom of the stairs—the same crowd that had watched Peach make a mess of Uncle Edisto’s funeral—parted to make a pathway for Peach.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles