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.
“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
She’s still sorting out how to present this album live.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
“I’m not willing to spend my time sorting socks,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
It is sorting out which companies have shown increased revenue/margins and which ones haven’t.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
The rabbit collected his scribbled notes and began sorting them without another word.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
