sort

American  

[sawrt] / sɔrt /

noun

1. a particular kind, species, variety, class, or group, distinguished by a common character or nature.

   to develop a new sort of painting;

   nice people, of course, but not really our sort.

   Synonyms:

   nature, character, rank, order, family, class

2. character, quality, or nature.

   young people of a nice sort.

3. an example of something that is undistinguished or barely adequate.

   He is a sort of poet.

4. manner, fashion, or way.

   We spoke in this sort for several minutes.

5. Printing.

   1. any of the individual characters making up a font of type.

   2. characters of a particular font that are rarely used.

6. an instance of sorting.

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verb (used with object)

1. to arrange according to sort, kind, or class; separate into sorts; classify.

   to sort socks;

   to sort eggs by grade.

2. to separate or take from other sorts or from others (often followed byout ): to sort out the children's socks.

   to sort the good from the bad;

   to sort out the children's socks.

3. to assign to a particular class, group, or place (often followed by with, together, etc.).

   to sort people together indiscriminately.

4. Scot. to provide with food and shelter.

5. Computers. to place (records) in order, as numerical or alphabetical, based on the contents of one or more keys contained in each record.

verb (used without object)

1. Archaic. to suit; agree; fit.

2. British Dialect. to associate, mingle, or be friendly.

verb phrase

1. sort out

   1. to evolve; develop; turn out.

      We'll just have to wait and see how things sort out.

   2. to put in order; clarify.

      After I sort things out here, I'll be able to concentrate on your problem.

idioms

1. out of sorts,

   1. in low spirits; depressed.

   2. in poor health; indisposed; ill.

   3. in a bad temper; irritable.

      to be out of sorts because of the weather.

   4. Printing. short of certain characters of a font of type.

2. of sorts, Also of a sort

   1. of a mediocre or poor kind.

      a tennis player of sorts.

   2. of one sort or another; of an indefinite kind.

3. sort of, in a way; somewhat; rather.

   Their conversation was sort of tiresome.

sort British  

/ sɔːt /

noun

1. a class, group, kind, etc, as distinguished by some common quality or characteristic

2. informal type of character, nature, etc

   he's a good sort

3. a more or less definable or adequate example

   it's a sort of review

4. (often plural) printing any of the individual characters making up a fount of type

5. archaic manner; way

   in this sort we struggled home

6. to some extent

7. 1. of an inferior kind

   2. of an indefinite kind

8. not in normal good health, temper, etc

9. informal

   1. (adverb) in some way or other; as it were; rather

   2. (sentence substitute) used to express reservation or qualified assent

      I’m only joking. Sort of

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verb

1. (tr) to arrange according to class, type, etc

2. (tr) to put (something) into working order

3. (tr) to arrange (computer information) by machine in an order convenient to the computer user

4. informal to supply, esp with drugs

5. archaic (intr; foll by with, together, etc) to associate, as on friendly terms

6. archaic (intr) to agree; accord

sort More Idioms  

1. see after a fashion (sort); all kinds (sorts) of; bad sort; it takes all sorts; kind (sort) of; nothing of the kind (sort); of sorts; out of sorts.

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Usage

See kind ².

Other Word Forms

• missort verb
• sortable adjective
• sortably adverb
• sorter noun
• subsort noun
• subsorter noun
• undersort verb (used with object)
• unsort verb (used with object)
• unsortable adjective

Etymology

Origin of sort

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English noun, from Middle French sorte, from Medieval Latin sort- (stem of sors ) “kind, allotted status or portion, lot,” Latin: originally, “lot (for voting)”; Middle English verb sorten “to allot, arrange, assort,” from Middle French sortir or directly from Latin sortīrī “to draw lots,” derivative of sors; later senses influenced by the noun and by assort

Example Sentences

Researchers from the University of Nottingham's School of Psychology asked 168 participants in the UK to sort a wide variety of supermarket foods into environmental impact categories of their own making.

From Science Daily

Emily had just turned 50 and was reflecting on life, her future, retirement, the environment - all sorts of questions.

From BBC

After The Wall Street Journal recently profiled the former auto finance manager and his company, readers wrote in with all sorts of questions.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was to put on the sort of dominant performance that might sow seeds of doubt in Arsenal's minds as they hold a nine-point lead in the Premier League title race.

From BBC

Entering March Madness this year, Nebraska held the sort of record that no school would ever want.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• array
• character
• description
• kind
• lot
• nature
• number
• quality
• set
• style