n.
- a category of people or things with a common feature.
▸informal a person with a specified nature.
- Computing the arrangement of data in a prescribed sequence.
- archaic a manner or way.
v.
- arrange systematically in groups.
▸separate from a mixed group.
▸
(sort through)
look at in succession for classification or to make a selection.
-
(sort someone/thing out)
resolve a problem or difficulty.
▸
(sort someone out)
informal deal with a troublesome person.
Phrase
- in some sort
dated to some extent. - of a sort
(or of sorts)
of a somewhat unusual or inferior kind.
- out of sorts
slightly unwell or unhappy. - sort of
informal to some extent.
Derivative
Usage
The construction these sort of, as in I don't want to answer these sort of questions, is ungrammatical and should be avoided in formal writing. This is because these is plural and needs to agree with a plural noun; the correct usage is these sorts of questions. See also usage at kind1.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. sorte, from an alt. of L. sors, sort- ‘lot, condition’.
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