out of sorts
noun
1.
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.
2.
character, quality, or nature: young people of a nice sort.
3.
an example of something that is undistinguished or barely adequate: He is a sort of poet.
4.
manner, fashion, or way: We spoke in this sort for several minutes.
5.
Printing.
a.
any of the individual characters making up a font of type.
b.
characters of a particular font that are rarely used.
verb (used with object)
7.
to arrange according to sort, kind, or class; separate into sorts; classify: to sort socks; to sort eggs by grade.
8.
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.
9.
to assign to a particular class, group, or place (often followed by with, together, etc.): to sort people together indiscriminately.
10.
Scot. to provide with food and shelter.
11.
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 ).
00:10
Out of sorts
is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
verb (used without object)
Verb phrases 12.
Archaic. to suit; agree; fit.
13.
British Dialect. to associate, mingle, or be friendly.
14.
Idioms sort out,
a.
evolve; develop; turn out: We'll just have to wait and see how things sort out.
b.
to put in order; clarify: After I sort things out here, I'll be able to concentrate on your problem.
15.
of sorts,
a.
of a mediocre or poor kind: a tennis player of sorts.
b.
Also, of a sort. of one sort or another; of an indefinite kind.
16.
out of sorts,
a.
in low spirits; depressed.
b.
in poor health; indisposed; ill.
c.
in a bad temper; irritable: to be out of sorts because of the weather.
d.
Printing. short of certain characters of a font of type.
17.
sort of, Informal. in a way; somewhat; rather: Their conversation was sort of tiresome.
Origin:
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
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
Related forms
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
Synonyms
1. family, order, race, rank, character, nature.
1. family, order, race, rank, character, nature.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To out of sorts
Collins
World English Dictionary
sort (sɔːt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a class, group, kind, etc, as distinguished by some common quality or characteristic |
| 2. | informal type of character, nature, etc: he's a good sort |
| 3. | a more or less definable or adequate example: it's a sort of review |
| 4. | (often plural) printing any of the individual characters making up a fount of type |
| 5. | archaic manner; way: in this sort we struggled home |
| 6. | after a sort to some extent |
| 7. | of sorts, of a sort |
| a. of an inferior kind | |
| b. of an indefinite kind | |
| 8. | out of sorts not in normal good health, temper, etc |
| 9. | informal sort of |
| a. (adverb) in some way or other; as it were; rather | |
| b. (sentence substitute) used to express reservation or qualified assent: I’m only joking. Sort of | |
| —vb (foll by with) | |
| 10. | (tr) to arrange according to class, type, etc |
| 11. | (tr) to put (something) into working order |
| 12. | (tr) to arrange (computer information) by machine in an order convenient to the computer user |
| 13. | informal to supply, esp with drugs |
| 14. | archaic, dialect or (intr; |
| 15. | archaic (intr) to agree; accord |
| [C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin sors kind, from Latin: fate] | |
| 'sortable | |
| —adj | |
| 'sortably | |
| —adv | |
| 'sorter | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
sort
c.1380, from O.Fr. sorte "class, kind," from L. sortem (nom. sors) "lot, fate, share, portion, rank, category," from PIE base *ser- "to line up" (cf. L. serere "to arrange, attach, join;" see series). The sense evolution in V.L. is from "what is allotted to one by fate,"
to "fortune, condition," to "rank, class, order." Out of sorts "not in usual good condition" is attested from 1621, with lit. sense of "out of stock."
sort
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
out of sorts
Irritable, grouchy, as in Don't ask him today
he's out of sorts. This expression also implies that one's poor spirits result from feeling slightly ill. [Early 1600s] The synonym out of humor, on the other hand, used more in Britain than America, simply means "ill-tempered" or "irritable." [Mid-1600s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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