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British

triage

[ tree-ahzh ]

/ triˈɑʒ /

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See synonyms for triage on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

the determination of priorities for action: She began her workday with a triage of emails.

adjective

of, relating to, or performing the task of triage: a triage officer.

verb (used with object), tri·aged, tri·ag·ing.

to act on or in by triage: to triage a crisis.

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What Is The Gruesome Origin Of The Word "Triage"?

There are lots of words with truly gruesome histories that have evolved over time to have much gentler meanings. Triage, is a great example of one of these words.

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Origin of triage

1925–30; <French: sorting, equivalent to tri(er) to sort (see try) + -age-age

Words nearby triage

triacetate fiber, triacid, triacontanol, triad, triadelphous, triage, trial, trial and error, trial balance, trial balloon, trial by battle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use triage in a sentence

The pandemic has dramatically accelerated the use of AI triage.
The pandemic is automating emergency room triage|Nicolás Rivero|August 21, 2020|Quartz
In normal times, Amir said, it might take six months for Diagnostic Robotics to close a deal with a major hospital interested in its AI triage tools.
The pandemic is automating emergency room triage|Nicolás Rivero|August 21, 2020|Quartz
This way, you can prioritize and triage some processes in favor of others.
Defining value stream management for SEO business owners|Connie Benton|August 11, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Machines with brains work alongside humans in warehouses, make recommendations about who should get credit, triage patients seeking care, and analyze dizzying quantities of financial data.
Corporate execs are starting to get skittish about AI|Nicolás Rivero|July 20, 2020|Quartz

So I just went in and kind of triaged the situation with him to find out what was going to work for him.
The Opioid Tragedy, Part 1: “We’ve Addicted an Entire Generation” (Ep. 402)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 16, 2020|Freakonomics
They set up an area for patient triage and identification to help them prioritize.
The Military’s Mission to Fight Ebola Might Be Dangerous But it Won’t Be Black Hawk Down|Nathan Bradley Bethea|September 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the third member of the triage of restaurants that have put Houston on the national map is The Pass & Provisions.
In Houston, The Eats Are On Fire|Starbucks|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I often wonder if I should have donated the triage tag to the museum or recorded my oral history for its collections.
How 9/11 Made Journalists Part of the Story|Allison Gilbert|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The triage tag put around my neck on 9/11 will be on display when the museum opens to the public Wednesday, May 21.
How 9/11 Made Journalists Part of the Story|Allison Gilbert|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Monday, I'll get to see my triage tag in the 9/11 museum—a reminder of the day I reported live from a hospital bed.
How 9/11 Made Journalists Part of the Story|Allison Gilbert|May 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We know of no more moving sight than one of the great Triage huts in France when leave is on.
The Romance of the Red Triangle|Arthur Keysall Yapp
What has here been attempted is a first triage of a part—the essential part—of Gourmont's work, and its logical rearrangement.
Decadence and Other Essays on the Culture of Ideas|Remy de Gourmont
Not one of our men was even scratched and I delivered my load safely at the triage at Vry.
With the Doughboy in France|Edward Hungerford
Across the road from the triage was a large barnlike structure which served as the terminal of the electric tramway.
History of Ambulance Company Number 139|Various
Our work in this sector, except that of the triage, was carried on at three advanced dressing stations and a relay station.
History of Ambulance Company Number 139|Various

British Dictionary definitions for triage

triage

/ (ˈtriːˌɑːʒ, ˌtriːˈɑːʒ, ˈtraɪ-) /

noun

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

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

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 Origin for triage

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012