SOS \SOS\
   The letters signified by the signal ( . . . --- . . . )
   prescribed by the International Radiotelegraphic Convention
   of 1912 for use by ships in distress.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

	

	SOS
     n : an internationally recognized distress signal in radio code

	

	44 Moby Thesaurus words for "SOS":
   Klaxon, Mayday, air-raid alarm, alarm, alarm bell, alarm clock,
   alarm signal, alarum, alert, all clear, beacon, blinking light,
   burglar alarm, buzzer, crostarie, fiery cross, fire alarm,
   fire bell, fire flag, five-minute gun, flashing light, fog bell,
   fog signal, foghorn, gale warning, hooter, horn, hue and cry,
   hurricane warning, lighthouse, note of alarm, occulting light,
   police whistle, signal of distress, siren, small-craft warning,
   still alarm, storm cone, storm flag, storm warning, tocsin,
   two-minute gun, upside-down flag, whistle

	

	SOS
     Share Operating System (OS)

	

	SOS
     Sophisticated Opearting System (OS, Apple)

	

	SOS
     Standards and Open Systems

	

	SOS
     Support On Site

	

	SOS
     Symbolic Operating System (OS)

	

	SOS /S-O-S/ n.,obs. An infamously losing text editor. Once, back in
   the 1960s, when a text editor was needed for the PDP-6, a hacker crufted
   together a quick-and-dirty `stopgap editor' to be used until a better
   one was written. Unfortunately, the old one was never really discarded
   when new ones came along. SOS is a descendant (`Son of Stopgap') of that
   editor, and many PDP-10 users gained the dubious pleasure of its
   acquaintance. Since then other programs similar in style to SOS have
   been written, notably the early font editor BILOS /bye'lohs/, the
   Brother-In-Law Of Stopgap (the alternate expansion `Bastard Issue, Loins
   of Stopgap' has been proposed).

	

	SOS
     
        1. Scheme Object System.
     
        2. An infamously losing text editor.  Once, back in the
        1960s, when a text editor was needed for the PDP-6, a hacker
        crufted together a quick-and-dirty "stopgap editor" to be
        used until a better one was written.  Unfortunately, the old
        one was never really discarded when new ones (in particular,
        TECO) came along.  SOS is a descendant ("Son of Stopgap") of
        that editor, and many PDP-10 users gained the dubious
        pleasure of its acquaintance.  Since then other programs
        similar in style to SOS have been written, notably the early
        font editor BILOS /bye'lohs/, the Brother-In-Law Of Stopgap
        (the alternate expansion "Bastard Issue, Loins of Stopgap" has
        been proposed).
     
        3. The PDP-10 instruction to decrease a value.  Oppose
        AOS.
     
        [Jargon File]