What Does SOS Mean?

What Does SOS Mean? thumbnail
SOS is an international distress call for ships.

According to WordNet, SOS is the international Morse code distress call for ships. Contrary to popular belief that SOS stands for "Save Our Ship" or "Save Our Souls," it is not actually an abbreviation of anything.

  1. History

    • Preceded by the Morse code CQD, SOS was adopted at the Berlin Radiotelegraphic Conference in Germany in 1906. Some historical accounts explain that SOS was derived from the code SOE; however, the "E" was difficult to copy and substituted with the letter "S."

    Function

    • The Morse code for SOS is three dots, three dashes, three dots, to be repeated intermittently. Upon hearing an SOS, stations were to immediately stop traffic and handle the distress signal.

    End of SOS Code

    • The SOS distress code was used until 1999, when it was replaced by the Global Maritime Distress Safety System.

Related Searches:

References

  • Photo Credit ship image by Alexander Petrari from Fotolia.com

Comments

You May Also Like

  • What Does the Abbreviation DVD Stand For?

    Comments. Video Transcript. Okay, what does the abbreviation DVD stand for? DVD stands for digital video disc, or digital versatile disc. The...

  • What Does QED Mean?

    QED stands for the Latin--quod erat demonstrandum--"that is demonstrated." QED is a traditional annotation to mark the end of an argument or...

  • What Does FOB in Shipping Mean?

    FOB in shipping means Free on Board or Freight on Board and it is a significant element of a purchase agreement. FOB...

  • What Does BCC & CC Mean on My BlackBerry?

    When you use your BlackBerry device to create a new email message or open an incoming message, you might notice that there...

  • What Does it Mean to Buy Debt?

    Borrowers in financial distress generally welcome debt consolidation proposals, especially when the offers translate into lower payments. When a financial institution ...

  • How to Define Morse Score

    Health care workers in hospitals and in nursing homes and other long-term-care inpatient settings use the Morse Fall Scale, or MFS, to...

  • What Does it Mean to S-Corp Elect?

    A regular corporation can choose to operate under Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code by filing an election form with the...

  • What Does It Mean to Incorporate?

    When a business incorporates, it becomes a its own legal entity, apart from the individuals who founded the company. For-profit businesses are...

  • What Does Reconcile Mean on a BlackBerry?

    If you're on the go or need to be connected to email throughout the day, a BlackBerry cell phone is a great...

  • How to Survive Morning Sickness

    "Morning Sickness" is rather a misnomer, since it can strike at any time of day or night. More appropriately known as "Nausea...

  • How to Get Out of SOS Mode on a Blackberry

    As a Blackberry user, you do not want your device to go into SOS mode because the phone will only make emergency...

  • What Does HDMI Mean?

    You have been using your old Zenith television for nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, a world of new technology has been swirling around...

  • What Does Downloading Actually Mean?

    To download from the Internet, in the strict sense, means you are receiving data from another computer with which you have established...

  • What Is the Purpose of the Secretary of State?

    The secretary of state is appointed by the president, and has the highest raking position in the cabinet. A secretary of state...

  • What Does Using the Ping in Blackberry Mean?

    In the context of a BlackBerry smartphone, pinging generally refers to the use of the PingChat! messaging application. PingChat! is available for...

  • How to Call an SOS on a Sailboat

    Learn how to properly call for an SOS on a sailboat with expert boating tips in this free video clip on sailing.

  • Flags of the Navy

    Flags of the Navy. Even with advancements in satellite communication technology, the US Navy still relies upon one of the most simplest...

  • Job of the Secretary of State

    The secretary of state is the president's primary adviser on foreign affairs. The secretary administers the president's foreign protocols through the foreign...

Related Ads

Featured