red sea

/ˌɹɛd ˈsiː/

proper noun

A long, narrow sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula; links the Suez Canal with the Arabian Sea.

“For quotations using this term, see Citations:red sea.”

Meanings

red sea1

proper noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of Red Sea.

    For quotations using this term, see Citations:red sea.

Red Sea2

proper nounthe Red Sea
  1. A long, narrow sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula; links the Suez Canal with the Arabian Sea.
  2. A governorate in eastern Egypt
  3. USgovernmentThe states of the western and southern United States which consistently vote Republican in presidential elections.
nounRed Sea (plural Red Seas)

plural Red Seas

  1. A great quantity of blood.

    And all this while the red sea of her blood Ebd with Leander.

    1598(?), George Chapman, Hero & Leander, iii. 323
    4 more examples

    The ghost of a creed […] may be laid, after all, only in a Red Sea of blood.

    1864, James Russell Lowell, Fireside Travels, section 219

    Titus argued that “the promised land” could now “by their own efforts, be obtained”: Slavery has been swallowed up in a Red Sea of blood, and the slave has emerged from the conflict of races transformed from a chattel to a man.

    1994, Erlene Stetson, Linda David, Glorying in Tribulation: The Life Work of Sojourner Truth, MSU Press, →ISBN, page 1980

    When her shoulder was free she screamed at the sharp sting of pain and collapsed to her knees where her own blood gathered in a warm puddle —a red sea of her pain and misery. Gravity increased and the ground, all though placid and still ...

    2009, Leane Owens, The Raven's War, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 239

    Sissoo feasted upon the flesh as the silky smooth red sea of blood trickled down his cheek as the lifeless body of Catherine Babyish lay amongst a red stained linen sheet drenched with her own blood as her scared dead eyes stared into the shadows above.

    2015, P. A. Williams, The Tides of Time, page 99
  2. slangvulgar(A quantity of) blood discharged through the vagina during menstruation.

    Woman's menstrual blood, as symbolized in the "red carpet" or "red-sea of life," paved the way for the processions of queens, kings, brides and heroes.

    2001, Shoni Labowitz, God, Sex And The Women Of The Bible, page 62
    4 more examples

    Hydrogen peroxide: Use 3% (the kind you use for cuts) on the stains you get on your sheets when you're flagging and your lover has parted your red sea.

    2006, Laura Goodman, A Cleaning Manual for Dirty Divas, page 14

    The wet dust found at the bottom of Lilith's lunar Red Sea is menstrual blood, simply, or, in the designation of the new theology, "filth." Lilith, in short, is an unsuitable wife for Adam because she menstruates.

    2015, I. K. Fleming, The Rise and Fall of Paradise

    After disposing of the ruined boxers, and checking to make sure my makeshift bed isn't covered in my Red Sea, I wad up several balls of toilet paper and coat the bottom of a new pair of boxers with them. It'll have to do for now.

    2016, Carrie Aarons, Lost, →ISBN

    "Ay, I'm throwing all this shit in a bag and taking it to the garbage. I don't know too much about the health of pussy, especially Asian wonton-soup pussy. I've swum in the Red Sea a few times to know blood clots the size of plums."

    2021, Raynesha Pittman, Carl Weber's Kingpins: West Coast, Urban Books, →ISBN
  3. broadlyA great quantity of reddish liquid, such as wine.

    Oyl-steep'd Anchovie, landed from his brine, Came freely swimming in red seas of wine.

    1645, Francis Quarles, The Shepheards Oracles: Delivered in Certain Eglogues, vii, 83
    1 more example

    […] will not get them gone for plain English, we will have one of Father Bacon's pupils from Oxford, to conjure [troublesome thoughts] away with logic and with Hebrew — Or, what say you to laying them in a glorious red sea of claret, my noble guest?

    1821, Walter Scott, Kenilworth. The pirate, published 1877, page 15

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Ancient GreekἘρυθρᾱ̀ θάλασσα
  2. LatinMare Rubrum
  3. Old EnglishRēad Sǣ
  4. Middle EnglishRed See
  5. EnglishRed Sea

From Middle English Red See, Reede See, Rede See, reade sea, from Old English Rēad Sǣ, a calque of Latin Mare Rubrum, itself a calque of Ancient Greek Ἐρυθρᾱ̀ θάλασσα (Eruthrā̀ thálassa); equivalent to red + sea.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Rooisee
  • Rooiseesea between Africa and Arabia
Ancient Greek Ἐρυθρὰ θάλασσα
  • Ἐρυθρὰ θάλασσα (Eruthrà thálassa)sea between Africa and Arabia
Arabic البَحْرُ الأَحْمَر, بَحْرُ القُلْزُم
  • البَحْرُ الأَحْمَر (al-baḥru l-ʔaḥmar)sea between Africa and Arabia
  • بَحْرُ القُلْزُم (baḥru l-qulzum)sea between Africa and Arabia
Basque Itsaso Gorria
  • Itsaso Gorriasea between Africa and Arabia
Bengali লোহিত সাগর, লাল দরিয়া
  • লোহিত সাগর (lōhito śagor)sea between Africa and Arabia
  • লাল দরিয়া (lal doriẏa)sea between Africa and Arabia
Bulgarian Черве́но море́
  • Черве́но море́ (Červéno moré)sea between Africa and Arabia
Catalan mar Roja, mar Roig
  • mar Rojasea between Africa and Arabia
  • mar Roigsea between Africa and Arabia
Chinese Cantonese 紅海 /红海
  • 紅海 /红海sea between Africa and Arabia
Chinese Mandarin 紅海 /红海
  • 紅海 /红海 (Hónghǎi)sea between Africa and Arabia
Czech Rudé moře
  • Rudé mořesea between Africa and Arabia
Danish Røde Hav
  • Røde Havsea between Africa and Arabia
Dutch Rode Zee
  • Rode Zeesea between Africa and Arabia
Esperanto Ruĝa Maro
  • Ruĝa Marosea between Africa and Arabia
Estonian Punane meri
  • Punane merisea between Africa and Arabia
Finnish Punainenmeri
  • Punainenmerisea between Africa and Arabia
French mer Rouge
  • mer Rougesea between Africa and Arabia
German Rotes Meer
  • Rotes Meersea between Africa and Arabia
Greek Ερυθρά Θάλασσα
  • Ερυθρά Θάλασσα (Erythrá Thálassa)sea between Africa and Arabia
Hebrew יַם סוּף
  • יַם סוּף (yam suf)sea between Africa and Arabia
Hindi लाल सागर, लालसागर
  • लाल सागर (lāl sāgar)sea between Africa and Arabia
  • लालसागर (lālsāgar)sea between Africa and Arabia
  • लालसमुद्र (lālasmudra)sea between Africa and Arabia
Hungarian Vörös-tenger
  • Vörös-tengersea between Africa and Arabia
Icelandic Rauðahaf
  • Rauðahafsea between Africa and Arabia
Indonesian Laut Merah, Laut Teberau
  • Laut Merahsea between Africa and Arabia
  • Laut Teberausea between Africa and Arabia
Irish an Mhuir Rua
  • an Mhuir Ruasea between Africa and Arabia
Italian Mar Rosso
  • Mar Rossosea between Africa and Arabia
Japanese 紅海
  • 紅海 (Kōkai)sea between Africa and Arabia
Korean 홍해
  • 홍해 (Honghae)sea between Africa and Arabia
Latin Mare Rubrum
  • Mare Rubrumsea between Africa and Arabia
Latvian Sarkanā jūra
  • Sarkanā jūrasea between Africa and Arabia
Lithuanian Raudonoji jūra
  • Raudonoji jūrasea between Africa and Arabia
Malay Laut Kulzum, Laut Merah
  • Laut Kulzumsea between Africa and Arabia
  • Laut Merahsea between Africa and Arabia
Māori Moana Whero
  • Moana Wherosea between Africa and Arabia
Norwegian Bokmål Rødehavet
  • Rødehavetsea between Africa and Arabia
Persian دریای سرخ
  • دریای سرخ (daryâ-ye sorx)sea between Africa and Arabia
Polish Morze Czerwone
  • Morze Czerwonesea between Africa and Arabia
Portuguese Mar Vermelho, Mar Roxo
  • Mar Vermelhosea between Africa and Arabia
  • Mar Roxosea between Africa and Arabia
Punjabi ਲਾਲ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ
  • ਲਾਲ ਸਮੁੰਦਰ (lāl samundar)sea between Africa and Arabia
Romanian Marea Roșie
  • Marea Roșiesea between Africa and Arabia
Russian Кра́сное мо́ре
  • Кра́сное мо́ре (Krásnoje móre)sea between Africa and Arabia
Scottish Gaelic Am Muir Ruadh
  • Am Muir Ruadhsea between Africa and Arabia
Slovak Červené more
  • Červené moresea between Africa and Arabia
Spanish mar Rojo
  • mar Rojosea between Africa and Arabia
Swahili Bahari ya Shamu
  • Bahari ya Shamusea between Africa and Arabia
Swedish Röda havet
  • Röda havetsea between Africa and Arabia
Tagalog Dagat Pula, Dagat na Pula
  • Dagat Pulasea between Africa and Arabia
  • Dagat na Pulasea between Africa and Arabia
Tamil செங்கடல்
  • செங்கடல் (ceṅkaṭal)sea between Africa and Arabia
Thai ทะเลแดง
  • ทะเลแดง (tá-lee-dɛɛng)sea between Africa and Arabia
Turkish Kızıldeniz
  • Kızıldenizsea between Africa and Arabia
Ukrainian Черво́не мо́ре
  • Черво́не мо́ре (Červóne móre)sea between Africa and Arabia
Urdu بحیرہ احمر
  • بحیرہ احمر (bahīrā ahmar)sea between Africa and Arabia
Vietnamese Biển Đỏ, Hồng Hải
  • Biển Đỏsea between Africa and Arabia
  • Hồng Hảisea between Africa and Arabia
  • Xích Hảisea between Africa and Arabia
Welsh y Môr Coch
  • y Môr Cochsea between Africa and Arabia
Yiddish ים סוף
  • ים סוף (yam sof)sea between Africa and Arabia
Cite this entry
APA

red sea. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20sea

MLA

“red sea.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20sea. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “red sea,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20sea.

Source: red sea on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.