v. & n.
--v.
1. tr. & intr. move with a scraping, sliding, or dragging motion (shuffles along; shuffling his feet).
2 tr. a (also absol.) rearrange (a pack of cards) by sliding them over each other quickly. b rearrange; intermingle; confuse (shuffled the documents).
3 tr. (usu. foll. by on, off, into) assume or remove (clothes, a burden, etc.) esp. clumsily or evasively (shuffled on his clothes; shuffled off responsibility).
4 intr. a equivocate; prevaricate. b continually shift one's position; fidget.
5 intr. (foll. by out of) escape evasively (shuffled out of the blame).
--n.
1. a shuffling movement.
2 the act or an instance of shuffling cards.
3 a general change of relative positions.
4 a piece of equivocation; sharp practice.
5 a quick scraping movement of the feet in dancing (see also double shuffle).
Phrases and idioms:
shuffle-board SHOVELBOARD. shuffle the cards change policy etc.
Derivatives:
shuffler n.
Etymology: perh. f. LG schuffeln walk clumsily f. Gmc: cf. SHOVE