I. ˈshift verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English sciftan to divide, arrange; akin to Old Norse skipa to arrange, assign
Date: 13th century
transitive verb
1. : to exchange for or replace by another : change
2.
a. : to change the place, position, or direction of : move
b. : to make a change in (place)
3. : to change phonetically
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to change place or position
b. : to change direction
the wind shift ed
c. : to change gears
d. : to depress the shift key (as on a typewriter)
2.
a. : to assume responsibility
had to shift for themselves
b. : to resort to expedients
3.
a. : to go through a change
she shift ed in her approach
b. : to change one's clothes
c. : to become changed phonetically
• shift·able ˈshif-tə-bəl adjective
•
- shift gears
II. noun
Date: 1523
1.
a. : a means or device for effecting an end
b.
(1) : a deceitful or underhand scheme : dodge
(2) : an effort or expedient exerted or tried in difficult circumstances : extremity
was put to hard shift s for a living — Benjamin Franklin
2.
a. chiefly dialect : a change of clothes
b.
(1) chiefly dialect : shirt
(2) : a woman's slip or chemise
(3) : a usually loose-fitting or semifitted dress
3.
a. : a change in direction
a shift in the wind
b. : a change in emphasis, judgment, or attitude
4.
a. : a group of people who work or occupy themselves in turn with other groups
b.
(1) : a change of one group of people (as workers) for another in regular alternation
(2) : a scheduled period of work or duty
works the night shift
5. : a change in place or position: as
a. : a change in the position of the hand on a fingerboard (as of a violin)
b.
(1) : fault 5
(2) : the relative displacement of rock masses on opposite sides of a fault or fault zone
c.
(1) : a simultaneous change of position in football by two or more players from one side of the line to the other
(2) : a change of positions made by one or more players in baseball to provide better defense against a particular hitter
d. : a change in frequency resulting in a change in position of a spectral line or band — compare Doppler effect
e. : a movement of bits in a computer register a specified number of places to the right or left
6. : a removal from one person or thing to another : transfer
7. : consonant shift
8. : a bid in bridge in a suit other than the suit one's partner has bid — compare jump
9. : gearshift
Synonyms: see resource