preliminarysort
nounUK /prɪˈlɪmɪnəri sɔːt/
US /prɪˈlɪməneri sɔːrt/
A first quick sort that puts things in rough order before the real sorting.
We did a preliminarysort of the blocks by color before counting them.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A first pass that separates items into broad groups.
The preliminarysort put all the red cards in one pile.
3. An early step in organizing data before detailed sorting.
The computer did a preliminarysort to speed up the final search.
4. A rough arrangement used to make the next step easier.
After a preliminarysort, the books were easier to shelve.