sorting
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
"There are a lot of more important issues MLAs should be sorting out, and hunting should not be a priority for them," he said.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
There is a familiar litany of criticisms levelled at the big players, including sorting users into "filter bubbles", unevenly-enforced moderation and addictive design.
From Barron's • May 9, 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
P.J. liked going to Mass, serving as an altar boy for a time, but he didn’t find in church doctrine the answers to the philosophical questions he was already sorting through in his mind.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
