Ma'anar ƙamus na "mayday" alama ce ta damuwa da jiragen sama, jiragen ruwa, da sauran motoci ke amfani da su don nuna cewa suna cikin wani yanayi mai barazana ga rayuwa kuma suna buƙatar taimako na gaggawa. An samo shi daga kalmar Faransanci "m'aidez," wanda ke nufin "taimaka ni." An san wannan kalmar a duk duniya azaman kiran damuwa kuma ana amfani da ita don sadarwa mai tsanani na gaggawa, kamar lokacin da abin hawa ke cikin haɗarin nutsewa, faɗuwa, ko fuskantar wani babban bala'i.