As a noun, sort means a type or kind of thing. As a verb, it means to arrange or separate things into groups based on shared features.
From Middle English, from Old French *sorte* “kind, class, lot,” from Latin *sors* (genitive *sortis*) “lot, fate, share.” It originally had a sense of “one’s assigned portion or fate.”
The journey from “lot” or “fate” to “type” is hidden in *sort*: your sort was once what life dealt you. Now, we use it casually in computers and closets—“sort by date,” “sort your clothes”—without realizing it once sounded almost mystical.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.