an internationally recognized distress signal in radio code
"The sailor pressed the emergency button to send a SOS signal after their boat capsized in the storm."
The conventional Morse code call made by a ship in distress.
"The students were eager to get their sos, which included their favorite snacks and drinks from home."
Initialism of Secretary of State.
A children's game in which players take turns to place S's and O's on a grid, collecting points by creating an "SOS" sequence.
Initialism of shit on a shingle.
plural of so
In plain English: SOS is an international distress signal used to tell people you need immediate help and are in danger.
"He pressed the red button to send out an SOS for help after his boat capsized."
Initialism of slip on show: a warning to a woman that the underwear she has on can be seen.
"The mirror caught his eye, causing him to whisper a quick SOS as he realized her skirt was riding up and exposing her panties."
The distress signal SOS was adopted because its dot-dash pattern of three dots, three dashes, and three dots is easy to remember and transmit by radio operators. Contrary to popular belief, the letters do not stand for a specific phrase like "save our souls" or "save our ship."