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.
Today, social media, aspirational culture and the sorting of the professional class into a handful of expensive cities mean the middle class compares itself constantly with those doing far better.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
His mom was overwhelmed by the idea of sorting through all the financial details of the household and asked Wildstein to take over.
From MarketWatch • 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
She’s still sorting out how to present this album live.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
The structure for lifting, sorting, and dumping the coal was called the tipple.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
