assort

[uh-sawrt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR assort ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to distribute, place, or arrange according to kind or class; classify; sort.

to furnish with a suitable assortment or variety of goods; make up of articles likely to suit a demand.

Archaic. to group with others of the same or similar kind; connect or identify as of a similar class; associate (usually followed by with).

verb (used without object)

to agree in sort or kind; be matched or suited.

to associate; consort.

Origin of assort

From the Middle French word assorter, dating back to 1480–90. See as-, sort

Related formsas·sort·a·tive, as·sort·ive, adjectiveas·sort·a·tive·ly, adverbas·sort·er, nounre·as·sort, verb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for assort

group, rank, suit, categorize, type, class, classify

Examples from the Web for assort

Historical Examples of assort

After council I went to work to assort the articles to be sold, etc.
William Clayton's Journal
William Clayton
"Coming," said Phyllis simply; and went in to assort her babies.
The Wishing-Ring Man
Margaret Widdemer
It is better to have each card different, and to assort the flags, so that every card may contain some not very generally known.
Bright Ideas for Entertaining
Mrs. Herbert B. Linscott
Assort′edness; Assort′ment, act of assorting: a quantity or number of things assorted: variety.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)
Various
It is customary to assort the currency of from one to four groups by banks each day.
The Galaxy, May, 1877
Various

British Dictionary definitions for assort

assort

verb

(tr) to arrange or distribute into groups of the same type; classify

(intr usually foll by with) to fit or fall into a class or group; match

(tr) to supply with an assortment of merchandise

(tr) to put in the same category as others; group

(intr usually foll by with) rare to keep company; consort

Derived Formsassortative or assortive, adjectiveassortatively, adverbassorter, noun

Word Origin for assort

C15: from Old French assorter, from sorte sort

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for assort

late 15c., "to distribute into groups," from Middle French assortir (15c.), from Old French assorter "to assort, match," from a- "to" (see ad-) + sorte "kind" (see sort). Related: Assorted; assorting.