Red Sea
noun
an arm of the Indian Ocean, extending NW between Africa and Arabia: connected to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal. 1450 miles (2335 km) long; 170,000 sq. mi. (440,300 sq. km); greatest depth, 7254 feet (2211 meters).
British Dictionary definitions for red sea
Red Sea
noun
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)
Cultural definitions for red sea
notes for Red Sea
Probably named for the red
algae that are sometimes present in its waters.
notes for Red Sea
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.