國際摩斯密碼代號，因其識別性強易發送而被選用，其代號為（? ? ? — — — ? ? ?）。 同時，俗詞源解讀為“save our ship or save our souls”，某種程度上加強了該信號的流傳度。
英文詞源
SOS
1910, from International Morse code letters, chosen arbitrarily as being easy to transmit and difficult to mistake. Not an initialism (acronym) for "save our ship" or anything else. Won out over alternative suggestion C.Q.D., which is said to mean "come quickly, distress," or "CQ," general call for alerting other ships that a message follows, and "D" for danger. SOS is the telegraphic distress signal only; the oral equivalent is mayday.
雙語例句
1. The emergency signal SOS has no literal meaning.
呼救信號SOS在字面上沒有任何意義.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
2. The ferry did not even have time to send out an SOS.
渡船甚至連發出緊急呼救信號的時間都沒有。
來自柯林斯例句
3. to send an SOS
發出緊急呼救信號
來自《權威詞典》
4. She stamped out the letters'sOS'in the snow.
她用腳在雪地踩出'sOS'這三個字母.
來自辭典例句
5. BeiMac SOS is a member - based effort that lies close to the membership.