sorting

American  

[sawr-ting] / ˈsɔr tɪŋ /

noun

Geology.

1. the process by which sedimentary particles become separated according to some particular characteristic, as size or shape.

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sorting Scientific  

/ sôr′tĭng /

1. The process by which sediment particles that have a certain characteristic, such as a given shape or grain size, are separated from other associated particles by an active agent of transportation, such as wind, a stream, or a glacier.

2. A measure of the degree to which this process has occurred within a body of sediment. Wind-blown sediments are usually well-sorted because only a small range of grain sizes can be lifted by a particular wind velocity. Glacially derived sediments are usually poorly sorted because of the great range of particle sizes that are picked up by a moving glacier.

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Etymology

Origin of sorting

sort + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Once there, they endured a cruel sorting in the gymnasium of the Ingram Elementary School, which had been repurposed as a reunification center.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

"If this is correct, I am deeply concerned about this practice, and I will be contacting the sorting office," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Materne expects that software stocks will go through a sorting process, meaning that successful software investors will need to be discerning when looking for opportunities.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

The platform also supports standard vaccine research tools, including antibody binding tests, immune cell sorting and high-resolution imaging.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

He was sitting at the dining table with his laptop open, sorting through school forms and gymnastics permissions slips for Adria and me.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Related Words

• allocation
• allotment
• analysis
• arrangement
• coordination
• designation
• distribution
• grade
• regulation