- sort
- [[t]sɔrt[/t]]n.1) a particular kind, class, or group; category:two sorts of people—rich and poor[/ex]2) character, quality, or nature:friends of a nice sort[/ex]3) an example of something that is undistinguished:He is a sort of poet[/ex]4) manner, fashion, or way5) pri Print.any of the individual characters making up a font of type6) an instance of sorting7) to arrange according to kind or class:to sort socks[/ex]8) to separate from other sorts (often fol. by out):to sort the good from the bad[/ex]9) to assign to a particular class, group, etc. (often fol. by with, together, etc.):sorting people together indiscriminately[/ex]10) cmp to place (computerized data) in order, numerically or alphabetically11) archaic to suit; agree; fit12) cvb phv sort outa) evolve; turn out:Wait and see how things sort out[/ex]b) to put in order; clarify:After I sort things out here, I can leave[/ex]•Etymology: 1200–50; (n.) ME < MF sorte < ML sort- (s. of sors) kind, allotted status, L: orig., voter's lot sort′er, n. usage: See kind II .
From formal English to slang. 2014.