Meanings
plural quicksorts
- computerA sorting algorithm that operates by recursively partitioning the items to be sorted into two sets.
Somewhat surprisingly, the average behaviour of quicksort is the same as the best behaviour.
1987, Åke Wikström, Functional Programming Using Standard ML
present singular third person quicksorts · participle present quicksorting · participle past quicksorted · past quicksorted
- transitivecomputerTo sort with such an algorithm.
1991, Maguire et al, Geographical Information Systems: Principles and Applications The first and last subsets are then recursively quicksorted.
Origin
From Quick + sort, from its computational efficiency.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic فَرْز سَرِيع
- فَرْز سَرِيع (farz sarīʕ)sorting algorithm
Finnish pikalajittelu, pikajärjestäminen
- pikalajittelusorting algorithm
- pikajärjestäminensorting algorithm
Cite this entry
quicksort. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quicksort
“quicksort.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quicksort. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quicksort,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quicksort.
Source: quicksort on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.