Sort Definition
sôrt
sorted, sorting, sorts
noun
sorts
Any group of persons or things related by having something in common; kind; class.
Webster's New World
Quality or type; nature.
Remarks of that sort.
Webster's New World
One that exemplifies the characteristics of or serves a similar function to another.
American Heritage
A person; an individual.
The clerk is a decent sort.
American Heritage
The act or an instance of sorting.
Webster's New World
verb
sorted, sorting, sorts
To associate; consort.
Webster's New World
To place, separate, or arrange according to class or kind.
Webster's New World
To separate from others.
Sort the wheat from the chaff.
American Heritage
To harmonize or agree; suit.
Webster's New World
To make a search or examination of a collection of things.
Sorted through the laundry looking for a matching sock.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
idiom
after a sort
- In a haphazard or imperfect way:
managed to paint the chair after a sort.
American Heritage
of sorts
- Of a mediocre or inferior kind:
a constitutional government of a sort.
- Of one kind or another:
knew many folktales of sorts.
American Heritage
out of sorts
- Slightly ill.
- Irritable; cross:
The teacher is out of sorts this morning.
American Heritage
sort of
- Somewhat; rather:
American Heritage
after a sort
- in some way but not very well
Webster's New World
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Sort
- after a sort
- of sorts
- out of sorts
- sort of
- after a sort
- of sorts
- out of sorts
- sort of
- sort out
Origin of Sort
-
Middle English from Old French from Latin sors sort- lot ser-2 in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
-
From Old French sortir (“allot, sort"), from Latin sortire (“draw lots, divide, choose"), from sors
From Wiktionary
-
From Old French sorte (“class, kind"), from Latin root of sors (“lot, fate, share, rank, category")
From Wiktionary
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