sort

¹sort

noun \ˈsȯrt\

Definition of SORT

1

a : a group set up on the basis of any characteristic in common : class, kind b : one approximating the character or qualities of another <a sort of latter-day Abe Lincoln> c : person, individual <he's not a bad sort>

2

archaic : group, company

3

a archaic : method or manner of acting : way, manner b : character, nature <people of an evil sort>

4

a : a letter or character that is one element of a font b : a character or piece of type that is not part of a regular font

5

: an instance of sorting <a numeric sort of a data file>

— after a sort

: in a rough or haphazard way <plays the piano, after a sort>

— all sorts of

: many different : all kinds of <knows all sorts of people>

— of sorts or of a sort

: in some respects but not entirely or truly <a vacation of sorts>

— out of sorts

1

: somewhat ill

2

: grouchy, irritable

Examples of SORT

1. What sort of car do you drive?
2. He's not a bad sort.
3. She's not the sort to complain.
4. The program did a numeric sort of the data.

Origin of SORT

Middle English, from Anglo-French, fate, lot, characteristic, from Latin sort-, sors lot, share, category — more at series

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to SORT

Synonyms: breed, class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, kind, like, manner, nature, order, species, strain, stripe, type, variety

Related Words: model; sample, specimen; bracket, bunch, category, division, family, grade, group, grouping, lot, persuasion, rank(s), set, suite

Near Antonyms: animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

see all synonyms and antonyms

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See Synonym Discussion at type

Rhymes with SORT

bort, court, fort, forte, mort, ort, port, Porte, quart, short, skort, snort, sport, swart, thwart, tort, torte, wart, wort