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 care2: 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