Search Result for "sorting": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (3)

1. an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion;
- Example: "the bottleneck in mail delivery is the process of sorting"
[syn: sort, sorting]

2. the basic cognitive process of arranging into classes or categories;
[syn: classification, categorization, categorisation, sorting]

3. grouping by class or kind or size;


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Sort \Sort\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sorted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sorting.] 1. To separate, and place in distinct classes or divisions, as things having different qualities; as, to sort cloths according to their colors; to sort wool or thread according to its fineness. [1913 Webster] Rays which differ in refrangibility may be parted and sorted from one another. --Sir I. Newton. [1913 Webster] 2. To reduce to order from a confused state. --Hooker. [1913 Webster] 3. To conjoin; to put together in distribution; to class. [1913 Webster] Shellfish have been, by some of the ancients, compared and sorted with insects. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] She sorts things present with things past. --Sir J. Davies. [1913 Webster] 4. To choose from a number; to select; to cull. [1913 Webster] That he may sort out a worthy spouse. --Chapman. [1913 Webster] I'll sort some other time to visit you. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 5. To conform; to adapt; to accommodate. [R.] [1913 Webster] I pray thee, sort thy heart to patience. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

sorting n 1: an operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion; "the bottleneck in mail delivery is the process of sorting" [syn: sort, sorting] 2: the basic cognitive process of arranging into classes or categories [syn: classification, categorization, categorisation, sorting] 3: grouping by class or kind or size
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

53 Moby Thesaurus words for "sorting": EDP, analysis, analyzing, appraisal, arrangement, assessment, assortment, cataloging, categorization, classification, classifying, codification, collating, computer technology, computer typesetting, computing, culling, data processing, data retrieval, division, electronic data processing, evaluation, factoring, filing, gauging, gradation, grading, grouping, high-speed data handling, identification, indexing, machine computation, pigeonholing, placement, ranging, ranking, rating, reporting, scanning, screening, selection, sifting, sifting out, sorting out, stratification, subdivision, subordination, tabulation, taxonomy, triage, typology, weighing, winnowing
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

sort sorting 1. To arrange a collection of items in some specified order. The items - records in a file or data structures in memory - consist of one or more fields or members. One of these fields is designated as the "sort key" which means the records will be ordered according to the value of that field. Sometimes a sequence of key fields is specified such that if all earlier keys are equal then the later keys will be compared. Within each field some ordering is imposed, e.g. ascending or descending numerical, lexical ordering, or date. Sorting is the subject of a great deal of study since it is a common operation which can consume a lot of computer time. There are many well-known sorting algorithms with different time and space behaviour and programming complexity. Examples are quicksort, insertion sort, bubble sort, heap sort, and tree sort. These employ many different data structures to store sorted data, such as arrays, linked lists, and binary trees. 2. The Unix utility program for sorting lines of files. Unix manual page: sort(1). (1997-02-12)