triage

[ tree-ahzh ]

/ triˈɑʒ /

WATCH NOW: What Is The Gruesome Origin Of The Word "Triage"?

WATCH NOW: 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.

MORE VIDEOS FROM DICTIONARY.COM

|

SEE MORE 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.

RELATED WORDS

sort, emphasize, prioritize, classify, array, group, methodize, organize, systematize, respond

Nearby words

triacylglycerol, triacylglycerol lipase, triad, triad syndrome, triadelphous, triage, trial, trial and error, trial balance, trial balloon, trial by battle

Origin of triage

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for triage

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

Both lines go to the same operator, Dorival told the Daily Beast, but the different numbers allow the operator to triage calls.
Did Trayvon Shooter Abuse 911?|Matthew DeLuca|March 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
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
This triage evidently had been a most busy place during the great drive on Verdun in 1916.
History of Ambulance Company Number 139|Various
With our movement came orders to turn over our dressing stations and triage to Ambulance Company 39, of the 6th Division.
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

Word Origin and History for triage

triage

n.

1727, "action of assorting according to quality," from French triage "a picking out, sorting," from Old French trier "to pick, cull" (see try). There seems to be some influence from or convergence with Latin tria "three" (e.g. triage for "coffee beans of the third or lowest quality"). In World War I, adopted for the sorting of wounded soldiers into three groups according to the severity of their injuries.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine definitions for triage

triage

[ trē-äzh′, trē′äzh′ ]

n.

A process for sorting injured people into groups based on their need for or likely benefit from immediate medical treatment. Triage is used on the battlefield, at disaster sites, and in hospital emergency rooms when limited medical resources must be allocated.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.