sort

UK: sɔːt | US: sɔːrt

Definition

  1. n. a category or type of something

  2. vt. to arrange items systematically

  3. vi. to classify or organize data

Structure
sort <kind/arrange>
Etymology

The word "sort" traces back to Latin sors (meaning "lot, fate, or kind"), which evolved into Old French sorte ("kind, rank"). In English, it initially referred to destiny or condition (e.g., "one’s lot in life") before narrowing to mean "category" or "to classify." The verb form emerged from the idea of assigning things to their proper "lot" or group.

Examples

  1. This sort of behavior is unacceptable.

  2. She sorted the books alphabetically.

  3. The algorithm sorts data efficiently.

  4. He’s the sort of person who always helps others.

  5. Can you sort these files by date?