sort

[ sawrt ]

/ sɔrt /

noun

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.

character, quality, or nature: young people of a nice sort.

an example of something that is undistinguished or barely adequate: He is a sort of poet.

manner, fashion, or way: We spoke in this sort for several minutes.

Printing.

any of the individual characters making up a font of type.
characters of a particular font that are rarely used.

an instance of sorting.

verb (used with object)

to arrange according to sort, kind, or class; separate into sorts; classify: to sort socks; to sort eggs by grade.

to separate or take from other sorts or from others (often followed by out): to sort the good from the bad; to sort out the children's socks.

to assign to a particular class, group, or place (often followed by with, together, etc.): to sort people together indiscriminately.

Scot. to provide with food and shelter.

Computers. to place (records) in order, as numerical or alphabetical, based on the contents of one or more keys contained in each record.Compare key¹(def 19).

verb (used without object)

Archaic. to suit; agree; fit.

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

Verb Phrases

sort out,

evolve; develop; turn out: We'll just have to wait and see how things sort out.
to put in order; clarify: After I sort things out here, I'll be able to concentrate on your problem.

QUIZZES

PRACTICE SOME ESCAPISM WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

We salute you if you remember all the doovers from Word of the Day between May 25 and May 31!

Question 1 of 7

salute

to call out to in order to stop, attract attention, ask aid, etc.

to wield power; exercise rule.

to express respect or praise for; honor; commend.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for sort

of sorts,

of a mediocre or poor kind: a tennis player of sorts.
of one sort or another; of an indefinite kind.

Also of a sort.

out of sorts,

in low spirits; depressed.
in poor health; indisposed; ill.
in a bad temper; irritable: to be out of sorts because of the weather.
Printing. short of certain characters of a font of type.

sort of, Informal. in a way; somewhat; rather: Their conversation was sort of tiresome.

Origin of sort

1200–50; (noun) Middle English < Middle French sorte < Medieval Latin sort- (stem of sors) kind, allotted status or portion, lot, Latin: orig., voter's lot; (v.) Middle English sorten to allot, arrange, assort (< Middle French sortir) < Latin sortīrī to draw lots, derivative of sors; later senses influenced by the noun and by assort

SYNONYMS FOR sort

1 class, family, order, rank, character, nature.

usage note for sort

See kind².

OTHER WORDS FROM sort

sort·a·ble, adjectivesort·a·bly, adverbsort·er, nounmis·sort, verb

sub·sort, nounsub·sort, verbsub·sort·er, nounun·der·sort, verb (used with object)un·sort, verb (used with object)un·sort·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sort

kind² sort type (see usage note at kind²) (see usage note at type)

Words nearby sort

sorrento, sorrow, sorrowful, sorrows of young werther, the, sorry, sort, sort code, sort out, sorta, sortal, sortation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for sorter

This porch is my home, as you might say, seeing as how I'm sorter held down here.
The Sheriff's Son|William MacLeod Raine
And perhaps if a gent like you, with whom I've been sorter free, Would—thank you!
East and West: Poems|Bret Harte
As I telled you wot you wa—No, the's no sorter use your making fyces at me.
The Divine Fire|May Sinclair
Beg—beg pardon, sir, but did you—did you sorter strike me with a chair, sir?
Mr. Hawkins' Humorous Adventures|Edgar Franklin

They tell me that Hallie's husband an' the Yankee was mighty nigh the same age, an' had a sorter favor.
Free Joe and Other Georgian Sketches|Joel Chandler Harris

British Dictionary definitions for sorter

sort

/ (sɔːt) /

noun

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

informal type of character, nature, etche's a good sort

a more or less definable or adequate exampleit's a sort of review

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

archaic manner; wayin this sort we struggled home

after a sort to some extent

of sorts or of a sort

of an inferior kind
of an indefinite kind

out of sorts not in normal good health, temper, etc

sort of informal

(adverb) in some way or other; as it were; rather
(sentence substitute) used to express reservation or qualified assentI’m only joking. Sort of

verb

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

(tr) to put (something) into working order

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

(tr foll by with) informal to supply, esp with drugs

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

(intr) archaic to agree; accord

Derived forms of sort

sortable, adjectivesortably, adverbsorter, noun

Word Origin for sort

C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin sors kind, from Latin: fate

undefined sort

See kind 2

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

Idioms and Phrases with sorter

sort

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.

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

sort

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

QUIZZES

PRACTICE SOME ESCAPISM WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Idioms for sort

Origin of sort

SYNONYMS FOR sort

usage note for sort

OTHER WORDS FROM sort

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sort

Words nearby sort

Example sentences from the Web for sorter

British Dictionary definitions for sorter

noun

verb

Derived forms of sort

Word Origin for sort

undefined sort

Idioms and Phrases with sorter