an approximate definition or example
"she wore a sort of magenta dress"
"she served a creamy sort of dessert thing"
A general type.
"The store has every sort of fruit you can imagine, from exotic mangoes to common apples."
In plain English: A sort is a kind or type of something.
"She decided to sort through her old clothes before donating them."
examine in order to test suitability
"screen these samples"
"screen the job applicants"
To separate items into different categories according to certain criteria that determine their sorts.
"Before packing for the trip, I spent an hour sorting my clothes by season and type of fabric."
In plain English: To sort something means to organize it into groups based on how similar or different the items are.
"I need to sort these dirty clothes into separate piles before doing laundry."
Usage: Use sort as an intransitive verb when describing the act of arranging or separating things, such as sorting mail by zip code. Avoid using it transitively with a direct object if you mean "to classify," which is better expressed by words like categorize or organize depending on context.
The word sort entered English from Middle English and originally referred to a "lot" or "fate." Its meaning shifted over time to describe a class or kind of thing.