sorter

[English sort (1), v.; -er.] One who sorts or arranges things; as, a letter- sorter. was sor-tēş, s . pl . [Lat., pl. of sors a lot.] [SORT, 8. ] A kind of divination by the chance selection of a pa age in an author's writing, frequently practiced in ancient times and the medieval ages. One method followed was to take up a book, open it at random, and the pa age touched with the finger was supposed to indicate the fortune of the experimenter. Another method to write several pa ages from a favorite author on separate slips of paper, place these in an urn, and draw out one, and from its contents infer good or evil fortune. Such methods of divination were known as Sortes Virgilianæ or Sortes Homericæ , according to the author chosen. Among the Christians of the middle ages the Bible was used for a similar purpose, and the proce was known as Sortes Biblice . sor-tie, s . [Fr., fem. of sort i , pa. par. of sortir = to i ue, to sally out; Sp. surtida , from surtir ; Ital. sort it a , from sortire .] Mil .: A sally of troops; the i uing of a body of troops from a besieged place to attack the besiegers; an outrush of a beleaguered garrison. sor-ti-lege, s . [Fr., from Lat.sortilegium , from sors (gen it. sort is )=a lot, and lego to choose, to select.] The act or practice of drawing lots; divination by drawing lots. "I have good hope that as the gods in favor have directed this sortilege , so they will be present and propitious unto me."- P . Holland : Livy , p. 1,183. sor-ti-le-gioŭs, adj. [SORTILEGE.] Of or pertaining to sortilege. "Horace makes the blood of frogs an ingredient in sort i leg i ous charms."- Daubrez . *sor-til-eg-ỹ, s. [Lat. sortilegium .] Sortilege; divination by drawing lots. "In sortilegies, and matters of greatest uncertainty, there is a settled and preordered course of effect."" Browne: Religio Medici, § 18. *sor-ti-tion, subst . [Lat. sortitio , from sort it us , pa. par. of sortior to obtain by lot; sors (gen it. sor tis )=a lot.] Seleccion or appointment by lot. "The soldiers have parted thy garments, and cast lots upon thy seamle coat; those poor spoils cannot so much enrich them as glorify thee, whose Scriptures are fulfilled by their barbarous sortitions ." - Bp. Hall : Contemplations , bk. iv. 3766 *sort'-ment, s. [Eng. sort (1), v.; -ment.] 1. The act of sorting; distribution into cla es or kinds; a ortment. 2. A parcel sorted; an a ortment. *sort-ỹ, a . [Eng. sort , s.; -y.] Of one sort; alike. "Not quite sorty as to hair."- Field , Dec. 12, 1885. sör-ŭs ( pl . sör-1), s . [Gr. sõros =a heap.] Botany (pl.): 1. The patches of fructification on the fronds of ferns. They constitute small heaps of minute capsules in most ferns or the backs of the fronds. 2. The groups of spores in the Florideous Algæ. *sorwe, s. [SORROW, 8.] *sorweful, a . [SORROWFUL.] *sor-ỹ, s . [Lat., from Gr. sōry .] The ancient name for sulphate of iron. *sor-y, a . [SORRY.]