sorting
Americannoun
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The process by which sediment particles that have a certain characteristic, such as a given shape or grain size, are separated from other associated particles by an active agent of transportation, such as wind, a stream, or a glacier.
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A measure of the degree to which this process has occurred within a body of sediment. Wind-blown sediments are usually well-sorted because only a small range of grain sizes can be lifted by a particular wind velocity. Glacially derived sediments are usually poorly sorted because of the great range of particle sizes that are picked up by a moving glacier.
Etymology
Origin of sorting
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As technology improved, particularly AI that handles time-consuming administrative tasks like building spreadsheets or sorting important from low priority emails, Pacitti evangelized working in microshifts to his staff and promoted it in recruiting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
"It's the sorting out I like the best - my identification is getting better and I love doing it."
From BBC • May 26, 2026
San Diego police declined to add details to the timeline, saying investigators were still sorting it out.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
“And then I think, then, you’ll have a sorting between companies that are real and companies that aren’t.”
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
I asked, eager to get that resolved while we were still in the business of sorting things out.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
