# Bab el Mandeb

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈbɑːb ɛl ˈmændɛb/

## Definitions
1. a strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden

## Etymology
From Arabic بَاب اَلْمَنْدَب (bāb al-mandab), meaning "Gateway (Bab) of anguish", or "Gateway of tears"; the strait derives its name from the dangers attending its navigation, or, according to an Arab legend, from the numbers who were drowned by the earthquake which separated Asia and Africa.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bab-el-mandeb