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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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

However, given Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, RBC estimates around 8 million barrels per day of Middle East oil remains disrupted.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026

The group, which controls swathes of Yemen and has been at war with Riyadh for over a decade, has declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and attacked ships in the Red Sea.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Houthis, a Yemeni militia, reportedly attacked Saudi ships in the Red Sea on Monday.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

“The lack of a durable Hormuz agreement and continued threats across both Hormuz and the Red Sea should keep a sizeable geopolitical premium embedded in oil prices,” said Soojin Kim, analyst at MUFG.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The woman acted like she wouldn’t’ve been no more surprised if she’d just seen Moses hisself part the Red Sea.

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis