Sort | Mean of sort in English Dictionary

/ˈsoɚt/

• Noun
• a group of people or things that have some shared quality
1. animals of various sorts
2. What sort of car do you drive?
3. Is this some sort of a joke? [=is this a joke?]
• a person of a particular type
1. He's not a bad sort.
2. She's not the sort to complain.
• the act of separating things and putting them in a particular order
1. The program did a numeric sort of the data.

• a large number or variety of (things or people)
1. The movie appeals to all sorts of people.
2. They've been having all sorts of problems. [=they've been having a lot of problems]
• in some ways but not entirely or exactly
1. It was a vacation of sorts. [=it was like a vacation in some ways, although it wasn't really a vacation]
2. He's a poet of sorts. [=he writes some poetry but he is not really a poet]
• like the person or thing mentioned
1. “You said you didn't like him.” “I said nothing of the sort.” [=I didn't say that at all]
2. I would like to go to a movie or a concert, or something of the sort. [=something like that]
• somewhat angry or unhappy
1. My boss is (feeling) out of sorts today.
• somewhat ill
1. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm feeling a little out of sorts.
• to some small degree
1. I feel sort of foolish.
2. I think he sort of likes me.
3. You look sort of like my cousin.
4. “Did you enjoy the movie?” “Sort of.”
5. The walls were (painted) sort of blue. = The walls were (painted in) sort of a blue color.
• Verb
• to separate and put (people or things) in a particular order
1. She started to sort the mail.
2. They sorted the winners from the losers.
3. The program can sort data alphabetically or numerically.
4. He sorted out the socks by color.
5. I finally sorted out the mess in the attic.
• to deal with (something or someone) in a successful way
1. We need to get this problem sorted. [=sorted out]
• to understand or find (something, such as a reason or a solution) by thinking
1. I'm trying to sort out [=find out, figure out] a way to do it.
• to find an answer or solution for (something)
1. He's still trying to sort out his problems.
2. We need to get these problems sorted out as soon as possible.
• to solve the problems of (someone)
1. They're still trying to sort their son out. [=trying to sort out their son's problems]
2. I just need a little more time to sort myself out.
• to deal with (someone who is causing problems) in a forceful way
1. I told my brother they were bullying me, and he promised to sort them out (for me).
• to look at things and put them in a particular order especially while you are searching for something
1. He sorted through the papers.