mayday

Borrowed from French m'aider, short for Venez m'aider! or Viens m'aider! (“Come help me!”).

• English:
  • IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪ.deɪ/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

  • Audio (General Australian):

    (file)

• Hyphenation: may‧day

mayday

1. (radio) emergency, need assistance
   • 2004, Ken Wishaw, Helicopter Rescue: The true story of Australia's first full-time chopper doctor, page 82:

     'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!' came the call.

When making a distress call, mayday is said three times in succession (mayday, mayday, mayday) to signal that the message is an actual distress signal, as opposed to a message about a mayday signal.

• SOS

The call mayday is the international standard emergency call. However, many local variations also exist.

• pan-pan

• Mayday

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪ.deɪ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪdeɪ

mayday (plural maydays)

1. An international distress signal used by shipping and aircraft.
   • 2002, Clive Cussler, Valhalla Rising, page 47:

     "Odd that she hasn't sent out a Mayday."
     "That is curious. Her radio must be disabled."

• distress signal

• pan-pan
• SOS