shellsort

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noun

A sorting algorithm that starts by sorting pairs of elements that are far apart from each other, then progressively reduces the gap between elements to be compared.

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Meanings

shellsort1

nounshellsort (countable and uncountable, plural shellsorts)

plural shellsorts

  1. alternativecountableuncountablecomputerAlternative form of Shellsort.

Shellsort2

nounShellsort (uncountable)

alternative shellsort

  1. uncountablecomputerA sorting algorithm that starts by sorting pairs of elements that are far apart from each other, then progressively reduces the gap between elements to be compared.

Origin

From Shell + sort, after Douglas Shell, who published the first version in 1959.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

shellsort. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shellsort

MLA

“shellsort.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shellsort. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shellsort,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shellsort.

Source: shellsort on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.