sort

[sawrt] /sɔrt/
noun
1.
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.
2.
character, quality, or nature:
young people of a nice sort.
3.
an example of something that is undistinguished or barely adequate:
He is a sort of poet.
4.
manner, fashion, or way:
We spoke in this sort for several minutes.
5.
Printing.
  1. any of the individual characters making up a font of type.
  2. characters of a particular font that are rarely used.
6.
an instance of sorting.
verb (used with object)
7.
to arrange according to sort, kind, or class; separate into sorts; classify:
to sort socks; to sort eggs by grade.
8.
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.
9.
to assign to a particular class, group, or place (often followed by with, together, etc.):
to sort people together indiscriminately.
10.
Scot. to provide with food and shelter.
11.
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).
verb (used without object)
12.
Archaic. to suit; agree; fit.
13.
British Dialect. to associate, mingle, or be friendly.
Verb phrases
14.
sort out,
  1. evolve; develop; turn out:
    We'll just have to wait and see how things sort out.
  2. to put in order; clarify:
    After I sort things out here, I'll be able to concentrate on your problem.
Idioms
15.
of sorts,
  1. of a mediocre or poor kind:
    a tennis player of sorts.
  2. of one sort or another; of an indefinite kind.
Also, of a sort.
16.
out of sorts,
  1. in low spirits; depressed.
  2. in poor health; indisposed; ill.
  3. in a bad temper; irritable:
    to be out of sorts because of the weather.
  4. Printing. short of certain characters of a font of type.
17.
sort of, Informal. in a way; somewhat; rather:
Their conversation was sort of tiresome.
Origin
1200-50; (noun) Middle English < Middle French sorte < Medieval Latin sort- (stem of sors) kind, allotted status or portion, lot, Latin: orig., voter's lot; (v.) Middle English sorten to allot, arrange, assort (< Middle French sortir) < Latin sortīrī to draw lots, derivative of sors; later senses influenced by the noun and by assort
Related forms
sortable, adjective
sortably, adverb
sorter, noun
missort, verb
subsort, noun
subsort, verb
subsorter, noun
undersort, verb (used with object)
unsort, verb (used with object)
unsortable, adjective
Can be confused
kind, sort, type (see usage note at kind; see usage note at type)
Synonyms
1. family, order, race, rank, character, nature.
Usage note
See kind2.
British Dictionary definitions for out of sorts

sort

/sɔːt/
noun
1.
a class, group, kind, etc, as distinguished by some common quality or characteristic
2.
(informal) type of character, nature, etc: he's a good sort
3.
a more or less definable or adequate example: it's a sort of review
4.
(often pl) (printing) any of the individual characters making up a fount of type
5.
(archaic) manner; way: in this sort we struggled home
6.
after a sort, to some extent
7.
of sorts, of a sort
  1. of an inferior kind
  2. of an indefinite kind
8.
out of sorts, not in normal good health, temper, etc
9.
(informal) sort of
  1. (adverb) in some way or other; as it were; rather
  2. (sentence substitute) used to express reservation or qualified assent: I’m only joking. Sort of
verb
10.
(transitive) to arrange according to class, type, etc
11.
(transitive) to put (something) into working order
12.
(transitive) to arrange (computer information) by machine in an order convenient to the computer user
13.
(informal) (transitive) foll by with. to supply, esp with drugs
14.
(intransitive; foll by with, together, etc) (archaic or dialect) to associate, as on friendly terms
15.
(intransitive) (archaic) to agree; accord
Derived Forms
sortable, adjective
sortably, adverb
sorter, noun
kind2
Word Origin
C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin sors kind, from Latin: fate
Word Origin and History for out of sorts

sort

n.

late 14c., from Old French sorte "class, kind," from Latin sortem (nominative sors) "lot; fate, destiny; share, portion; rank, category; sex, class, oracular response, prophecy," from PIE root *ser- (3) "to line up" (cf. Latin serere "to arrange, attach, join;" see series). The sense evolution in Vulgar Latin is from "what is allotted to one by fate," to "fortune, condition," to "rank, class, order." Out of sorts "not in usual good condition" is attested from 1620s, with literal sense of "out of stock."

v.

mid-14c., "to arrange according to type or quality," from Old French sortir "allot, sort, assort," from Latin sortiri "draw lots, divide, choose," from sors (see sort (n.)). In some senses, the verb is a shortened form of assort.

Idioms and Phrases with out of sorts

out of sorts

[Mid-1600s] [ Early 1600s ]

sort

see: