An internationally recognized signal sent out by a ship or plane indicating that help is needed.
1A UN captain sent out a distress call and immediately signaled surrender.
2He could hear the computer in the study chiming its distress call.
3Not smart enough to know a distress call when it sees one.
4Ben Barka's suit began to broadcast immediately and indiscriminately-anall-banddistress call.
5Demo suddenly heard thrashing, mixed with the distress call of a bird.
6The crew of three abandoned the Spailpeen Faineachafter issuing a distress call.
7Fire alarms blared out, sending their distress call out into the night.
8The Viking Sky sent out a distress call after suffering engine failure.
9Something has gone wrong, however, and a distress call has been sent out.
10Now, one way or another, they were going to investigate that distress call.
11Shortly after nine o'clock there was another distress call on the emergency frequency.
12The space ore freighter Nostromo investigates a distress call on a distant planet.
13Nothing but the same distress call, repeated at the usual intervals.
14He could listen for his rescuers, maybe even send out a distress call.
15A coastal passenger ship off Hatteras sent out a frantic radio distress call.
16If the ship was damaged, its own distress call would sound.