SORT

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sort mean? 

• SORT (noun)
  The noun SORT has 4 senses:

1. a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

2. an approximate definition or example

3. a person of a particular character or nature

4. an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion

  Familiarity information: SORT used as a noun is uncommon.

• SORT (verb)
  The verb SORT has 2 senses:

1. examine in order to test suitability

2. arrange or order by classes or categories

  Familiarity information: SORT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SORT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

form; kind; sort; variety

Context example:

what kinds of desserts are there?

Hypernyms ("sort" is a kind of...):

category (a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations in a conceptual scheme)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sort"):

type (a subdivision of a particular kind of thing)

like; the like; the likes of (a similar kind)

stripe (a kind or category)

model (a type of product)

manner (a kind)

ilk; like (a kind of person)

genre (a kind of literary or artistic work)

brand; make (a recognizable kind)

species (a specific kind of something)

color; colour ((physics) the characteristic of quarks that determines their role in the strong interaction)

flavor; flavour ((physics) the six kinds of quarks)

style (a particular kind (as to appearance))

art form ((architecture) a form of artistic expression (such as writing or painting or architecture))

antitype (an opposite or contrasting type)

description (sort or variety)

genus (a general kind of something)

Derivation:

sort (arrange or order by classes or categories)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An approximate definition or example

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

she served a creamy sort of dessert thing

Hypernyms ("sort" is a kind of...):

similarity (the quality of being similar)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A person of a particular character or nature

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Context example:

he's a good sort

Hypernyms ("sort" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

sort; sorting

Context example:

the bottleneck in mail delivery is the process of sorting

Hypernyms ("sort" is a kind of...):

operation ((computer science) data processing in which the result is completely specified by a rule (especially the processing that results from a single instruction))

Derivation:

sort (arrange or order by classes or categories)

sort (examine in order to test suitability)

• SORT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they sort    ... he / she / it sorts   
Past simple: sorted   
Past participle: sorted   
-ing form: sorting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Examine in order to test suitability

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

screen; screen out; sieve; sort

Context example:

screen the job applicants

Hypernyms (to "sort" is one way to...):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

sort (an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Arrange or order by classes or categories

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

assort; class; classify; separate; sort; sort out

Context example:

How would you classify these pottery shards--are they prehistoric?

Hypernyms (to "sort" is one way to...):

categorise; categorize (place into or assign to a category)

"Sort" entails doing...:

compare (examine and note the similarities or differences of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sort"):

count; number (put into a group)

grade (determine the grade of or assign a grade to)

group (arrange into a group or groups)

pigeonhole; stamp; stereotype (treat or classify according to a mental stereotype)

dichotomise; dichotomize (divide into two opposing groups or kinds)

size (sort according to size)

reclassify (classify anew, change the previous classification)

refer (think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another)

isolate (separate (experiences) from the emotions relating to them)

catalog; catalogue (make an itemized list or catalog of; classify)

unitise; unitize (separate or classify into units)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

sort (a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality)

sort (an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion)

sorter (a machine for sorting things (such as punched cards or letters) into classes)

sorter (a clerk who sorts things (as letters at the post office))

sorting (grouping by class or kind or size)

sorting (an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion)

 Context examples 

My morning’s work has not been wasted, since it has proved that he has the very strongest motives for standing in the way of anything of the sort.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Later in the morning I received a surprise of a totally different sort.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I can see that you have a strong, natural turn for this sort of thing.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A collection of things containing a variety of sorts or kinds, a variety.

(Assortment, NCI Thesaurus)

The receptor is sorted into transcytotic vesicles which are exocytosed at the apical surface.

(Basolateral Sorting Signal, NCI Thesaurus)

I stood out as long as I could, till the tears almost came into her eyes, and I knew it was just the sort that my sister would be delighted with.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

They may be twins of a sort.

(A 'Tail' of Two Comets, NASA)

There was nothing of the sort.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The new study, however, says there’s not much evidence that supplements of any sort can prolong your life, despite their widespread use.

(Healthy Diet Can't Be Replaced by Vitamins, Supplements, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Sir, I give you my word as a gentleman, Laurie won't do anything of the sort.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)