sort
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.
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).
Archaic. to suit; agree; fit.
British Dialect. to associate, mingle, or be friendly.
Idioms about sort
of sorts, : Also of a sort .
of a mediocre or poor kind: a tennis player of sorts.
of one sort or another; of an indefinite kind.
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.
Origin of sort
1usage note For sort
Other words for sort
Other words from sort
- sort·a·ble, adjective
- sort·a·bly, adverb
- sorter, noun
- mis·sort, verb
- subsort, 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for sort
/ (sɔːt) /
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 assent: I’m only joking. Sort of
(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
Origin of sort
1sort
Derived forms of sort
- sortable, adjective
- sortably, adverb
- sorter, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with 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.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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