triage

noun

tri·​age trē-ˈäzh  ˈtrē-ˌäzh 

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

Examples of triage in a Sentence

Nurses do triage in the emergency room.

Recent Examples on the Web

The members next had to decide how the new triage process would assess vulnerability — a dilemma with no clear answers. —Carly Stern, Vox, 6 Dec. 2024

Last week, the Vikings began their triage attempt, signing Duke Shelley. —Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 30 July 2024

Start with small, high-impact projects where benefits are quickly measurable, such as automating ticket triage for common queries. —Mukul Garg, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Uniformed doctors dart in and out of brick-walled rooms, and tents have been set up in the courtyard to deal with triage. —Sophie Neiman, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, sorting, sifting, from trier to sort, from Old French — more at try entry 1

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Medical Definition

triage

noun

tri·​age trē-ˈäzh  ˈtrē-ˌ 

1

: 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

2

: the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care

triage transitive verb