SOS was introduced for emergency maritime radio communication using Morse code. Radio (initially known as "wireless telegraphy") was developed in the late 1890s, and was quickly recognized as an …

SOS is not an acronym, although it has sometimes been treated as one in popular imagination; “save our ship” and “save our souls” are the most common suggested “meanings” for the signal. SOS is …

Dec 5, 2019 · SOS is an internationally recognized distress signal used to request urgent help. While it originally stood for “Save Our Ship” or “Save Our Souls”, it does not actually have an official acronym …

Mar 28, 2025 · What does SOS mean? According to Merriam-Webster, SOS is “an internationally recognized signal of distress in radio code, used especially by ships calling for help.”

Jul 12, 2024 · SOS is a universal distress signal used in emergencies to signal for help. The letters SOS do not stand for anything specific; they were chosen for their simplicity and clarity in Morse code.

The meaning of SOS is an internationally recognized signal of distress in radio code - - - used especially by ships calling for help.

Nov 4, 2025 · To sum up, SOS does not have a specific full form, but it remains one of the most important and globally recognized distress signals. Whether it’s at sea, in the air, or through your …

SOS became associated with such phrases as “Save Our Ship”, ”Save Our Souls”, and “Send Out Succour”. These may be regarded as backronyms, and SOS is not an abbreviation or acronym.

Emergency services in general (Definition of SOS from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Mar 2, 2025 · Most simply, SOS is the standard Morse code distress signal, which reads like this: ". . . – - – . . ." As such, the three dots represent the letter "S," while the dashes represent the letter "O."