What does 'SOS' mean? The term's maritime origins and how it shows up in our lives today.

"S-O-S please, someone help me/It's not healthy for me to feel this."

"So when you're near me darling/Can't you hear me, S.O.S?"

Rihanna and ABBA have sung it. SZA even has a whole album named after it. We use it in our texts and everyday slang. So what does "SOS" actually mean? Here's everything you need to know about the term and its military origins, plus the new feature on your iPhone that utilizes it for your safety. 

What does 'SOS' mean?

Many think "SOS" stands for "save our souls" or "save our ship," but it actually doesn't stand for anything. SOS is a Morse Code distress signal.

Morse Code is a system that uses dots, dashes and spaces to communicate letters and numbers. It was first created during the 1830s by Samuel F.B. Morse but was later improved in 1851 to create the simpler, more precise International Morse Code system. 

The original distress signal was CQD, which stood for "seeking you, distress" or "all stations, distress," according to PBS. This was widely used by the British, while Germans used SOE and the Americans used NC, which meant "call for help without delay."

A 1906 International Telegraphic Radio Conference effectively standardized communication by suggesting the simpler SOS, which is easier to signal because of its distinct dots and dashes sequence.

See the difference for yourself: 

• CQD: -.-./--.-/-..
• SOS: .../---/...

SOS was first transmitted in the U.S. in 1909 from the Arapahoe vessel and was later used alongside CQD when the Titanic was sinking. The U.S. officially adopted the signal after Titanic. Today, U.S. marine operations use the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System for signaling. 

The phrases "save our souls" and "save our ship" came later, through popular use outside of marine communication. 

It also can be used in modern-day slang to communicate discomfort or urgency over text: 

• "SOS, I need you to call me with an excuse so I can leave this date."
• "SOS, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last week?"

What does 'SOS' mean on iPhone?

Marine communication is not the only place you'll see SOS; it has become a popular signal for distress in our everyday lives.

Apple's Emergency SOS notification calls local emergency numbers and emergency contacts to send your real-time location and alert for help. The function works even without cell service or WiFi. 

Emergency SOS can be found in Settings, where you can change how the feature works. You can turn on "Call with Hold" which brings up a slider option after pressing and holding the side power and volume buttons. You can also select "Call with 5 Presses," which dials emergency services after rapidly pressing the side button five times. 

Apple also has a car crash detection option, which automatically calls emergency services after detecting a severe accident. 

SOS on iPhone:Symbol appears during AT&T outage Thursday

Want to learn? Catch up on more text slang explainers: 

• Looking for slang explainers? Just 'lmk': Here's what the term means
• What does 'gts' mean? Definition of text term and how to use it
• What does 'no cap' mean? Here's how to use it
• What does 'MBN' mean? Here's how to use for texts, social media
• What does 'IMO' mean? Make sure you're using this term correctly
• What does 'OTP' mean? Breaking down the fandom term, slang
• What does 'hmu' mean? Get to know Internet, texting acronym
• What does 'tbh' mean? Here's how to use it in conversation
• What does 'POV' mean? Breaking down the definition of the abbreviation

Just Curious for more? We've got you covered

USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "What does camp mean?" to "What is an indictment?" to "Why do dogs sleep so much?", we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you.