triage

[tree-ahzh]

noun

1. the process of sorting victims, as of a battle or disaster, to determine medical priority in order to increase the number of survivors.

2. the determination of priorities for action.

   She began her workday with a triage of emails.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or performing the task of triage.

   a triage officer.

verb (used with object)

triaged, triaging 

1. to act on or in by triage.

   to triage a crisis.

triage

/ ˌtriːˈɑːʒ, ˈtraɪ-, ˈtriːˌɑːʒ /

noun

1. (in a hospital) the principle or practice of sorting emergency patients into categories of priority for treatment

2. the principle or practice of sorting casualties in battle or disaster into categories of priority for treatment

3. the principle or practice of allocating limited resources, as of food or foreign aid, on a basis of expediency rather than according to moral principles or the needs of the recipients

Word History and Origins

Origin of triage¹

First recorded in 1925–30; from French: “a sorting,” from tri(er) “to sort” ( try ) + -age -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of triage¹

C18 (in the sense: sorting (goods) according to quality): from French; see _try , _-age

Example Sentences

“We’re going to have to make things work, and that means that we’re going to have to triage some certain things,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The BMA has also warned there would be a "potential online triage tsunami" with no additional workforce to cope with the extra demand.

From BBC

So I decided to blow out the tenets of my current kitchen triage — salt, acid, oregano — into a full-blown meal.

From Salon

Neighbours described seeing stressed parents outside the village hall in nearby Plungar, which was used as a triage centre for the children on Monday.

From BBC

Police said once emergency services had arrived at the scene, a triage centre was set up at Plungar Village Hall to assess all children present at the camp.

From BBC