Main Entry: tri·age

Pronunciation: \trē-ˈäzh, ˈtrē-ˌ\

Function: noun

Etymology: French, sorting, sifting, from trier to sort, from Old French — more at try

Date: 1918

1 a : the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors b : the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care
2 : the assigning of priority order to projects on the basis of where funds and other resources can be best used, are most needed, or are most likely to achieve success

— triage transitive verb