a group constituted on the basis of any common characteristic; a class or kind
an instance of a kind
casts a sort of spell over them
nature; disposition
people of an evil sort
a letter or character in a fount2 (set of printing type)
informal a person; an individual
not a bad sort
in computing, a process of arranging data in a prescribed order
archaic way; manner
Every reader had in some sort to be a student — G M Trevelyan
of sorts/of a sort
of an inconsequential or mediocre quality
out of sorts
somewhat ill
grouchy; irritable
sort of
informal to a moderate degree; somewhat; in a way
It's sort of hard to describe
[Middle English from early French sorte, ultimately from Latin sort-, sors chance, lot]