triage

[ tree-ahzh ]
/ triˈɑʒ /

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.

VIDEO FOR 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.

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Origin of triage

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

Example sentences from the Web for triage

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

Medical definitions for triage

triage
[ trē-äzh, trēäzh′ ]

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.