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sort definition

sort (sôrt)

noun

  1. any group of persons or things related by having something in common; kind; class
  2. quality or type; nature remarks of that sort
  3. Archaic manner or way
  4. Comput. the act or an instance of sorting
  5. Printing any of the kinds of characters in a font of type

Etymology: ME < MFr < VL *sorta < L sors (gen. sortis), lot, chance, fate, akin to serere, to join together, arrange: see series

transitive verb

to place, separate, or arrange according to class or kind: often with out

intransitive verb

  1. Archaic to associate; consort
  2. Archaic to harmonize or agree; suit
  3. Comput. to arrange a group of records in a particular way, as chronologically or alphabetically, so that they can be accessed more efficiently

Related Forms:

sort Idioms

after a sort

in some way but not very well

of sorts

  1. of various kinds
  2. of a poor or inferior kind
    also of a sort

out of sorts

  1. Printing lacking certain sorts of type
  2. Informal
    1. not in a good humor; cross
    2. not feeling well; slightly ill

sort of

Informal somewhat

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms sort idiom

sort Synonyms

sort

n.

species, description, class; see kind 2, variety 1.

of sorts<strong> <em>or</em> </strong>of a sort

some, such as they are, ordinary; see common 1, poor 2.

out of sorts

irritated, upset, in a bad mood; see angry, troubled.


sort

v.

file, assort, class; see classify, distribute 1, order 3.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

sort Usage Examples

Object

  • message: Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] I have not compromised it.

Converse of object

  • like: For those who like this sort of thing, here are a few statistics.

Preposition: at

  • kerbside: Items put out for collection are sorted at the kerbside by recycling operatives.

Adjective modifier

  • same: Once the 10th class finished the test, I was able to do the same sort of lesson with them.

Modifies a noun

  • code: Sort code ( UK only ) Code of emission Tools.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • out: Normally the problem can be sorted out on the spot.

Particle object: out_obj

  • mess: Peter is usually the only one who can sort out the mess.

Present participle complement

  • accord: The list must be sorted according to the numbers of the indeterminates.

Preposition: of

  • thing: Why do these sort of things always happen in slow motion?

Noun used with modifier

  • employability: There are links to two other employability card sorts from Biosciences and Windmills with this record.
sort usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

sort quotes

The curse of me and my nation is that we always think things can be bettered by immediate action of some sort, any sort rather than no sort.

-Pound, Ezra Loomis

sort quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"sort." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/sort>

APA Style

sort. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/sort

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