sort

[ sawrt ]

/ sɔrt /

noun

a particular kind, species, variety, class, or group, distinguished by a common character or nature: to develop a new sort of painting; nice people, of course, but not really our sort.

character, quality, or nature: young people of a nice sort.

an example of something that is undistinguished or barely adequate: He is a sort of poet.

manner, fashion, or way: We spoke in this sort for several minutes.

Printing.

any of the individual characters making up a font of type.
characters of a particular font that are rarely used.

an instance of sorting.

verb (used with object)

to arrange according to sort, kind, or class; separate into sorts; classify: to sort socks; to sort eggs by grade.

to separate or take from other sorts or from others (often followed by out): to sort the good from the bad; to sort out the children's socks.

to assign to a particular class, group, or place (often followed by with, together, etc.): to sort people together indiscriminately.

Scot. to provide with food and shelter.

Computers. to place (records) in order, as numerical or alphabetical, based on the contents of one or more keys contained in each record. Compare key¹(def 19).

verb (used without object)

Archaic. to suit; agree; fit.

British Dialect. to associate, mingle, or be friendly.

Verb Phrases

sort out,

evolve; develop; turn out: We'll just have to wait and see how things sort out.
to put in order; clarify: After I sort things out here, I'll be able to concentrate on your problem.

Idioms for sort

of sorts,

of a mediocre or poor kind: a tennis player of sorts.
of one sort or another; of an indefinite kind.

Also of a sort.

out of sorts,

in low spirits; depressed.
in poor health; indisposed; ill.
in a bad temper; irritable: to be out of sorts because of the weather.
Printing. short of certain characters of a font of type.

sort of, Informal. in a way; somewhat; rather: Their conversation was sort of tiresome.

Origin of sort

1200–50; (noun) Middle English < Middle French sorte < Medieval Latin sort- (stem of sors) kind, allotted status or portion, lot, Latin: orig., voter's lot; (v.) Middle English sorten to allot, arrange, assort (< Middle French sortir) < Latin sortīrī to draw lots, derivative of sors; later senses influenced by the noun and by assort

SYNONYMS FOR sort

1 class, family, order, rank, character, nature.

usage note for sort

See kind².

OTHER WORDS FROM sort

sort·a·ble, adjective sort·a·bly, adverb sort·er, noun mis·sort, verb

sub·sort, noun sub·sort, verb sub·sort·er, noun un·der·sort, verb (used with object) un·sort, verb (used with object) un·sort·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sort

kind² sort type (see usage note at kind²) (see usage note at type)

Words nearby sort

sorrento, sorrow, sorrowful, sorrows of young werther, the, sorry, sort, sort code, sort out, sorta, sortal, sortation

British Dictionary definitions for of sorts

sort

/ (sɔːt) /

noun

a class, group, kind, etc, as distinguished by some common quality or characteristic

informal type of character, nature, etc he's a good sort

a more or less definable or adequate example it's a sort of review

(often plural) printing any of the individual characters making up a fount of type

archaic manner; way in this sort we struggled home

after a sort to some extent

of sorts or of a sort

of an inferior kind
of an indefinite kind

out of sorts not in normal good health, temper, etc

sort of informal

(adverb) in some way or other; as it were; rather
(sentence substitute) used to express reservation or qualified assentI’m only joking. Sort of

verb

(tr) to arrange according to class, type, etc

(tr) to put (something) into working order

(tr) to arrange (computer information) by machine in an order convenient to the computer user

(tr foll by with) informal to supply, esp with drugs

(intr; foll by with, together, etc) archaic, or dialect to associate, as on friendly terms

(intr) archaic to agree; accord

Derived forms of sort

sortable, adjective sortably, adverb sorter, noun

Word Origin for sort

C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin sors kind, from Latin: fate

undefined sort

See kind 2

Idioms and Phrases with of sorts (1 of 2)

of sorts

Also, of a sort. Of a kind, especially a mediocre or somewhat different kind. For example, He was wearing a jacket of sorts but no tie, or They established a constitutional government of a sort. [c. 1900]

Idioms and Phrases with of sorts (2 of 2)

sort

see after a fashion (sort); all kinds (sorts) of; bad sort; it takes all sorts; kind (sort) of; nothing of the kind (sort); of sorts; out of sorts.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

sort

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

Idioms for sort

Origin of sort

SYNONYMS FOR sort

usage note for sort

OTHER WORDS FROM sort

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sort

Words nearby sort

British Dictionary definitions for of sorts

noun

verb

Derived forms of sort

Word Origin for sort

undefined sort

Idioms and Phrases with of sorts (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with of sorts (2 of 2)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

sort

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

Idioms for sort

Origin of sort

SYNONYMS FOR sort

usage note for sort

OTHER WORDS FROM sort

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sort

Words nearby sort

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for of sorts

noun

verb

Derived forms of sort

Word Origin for sort

undefined sort

Idioms and Phrases with of sorts (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with of sorts (2 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for of sorts