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Shift

//ʃɪft// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
A movement to do something, a beginning. countable, uncountable
2
A modifier key whose main function is shifting between two or more functions of any of certain other keys (usually by pressing Shift and the other button simultaneously).
3
the act of changing one thing or position for another wordnet
4
An act of shifting; a slight movement or change. countable, uncountable
"There was a shift in the political atmosphere."
5
the act of moving from one place to another wordnet

Show 27 more definitions

6
A share, a portion assigned on division. countable, obsolete, uncountable
7
a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist wordnet
8
A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise. countable, historical, uncountable
"Just last week she bought a new shift at the market."
9
a woman's sleeveless undergarment wordnet
10
A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress. countable, uncountable
11
the key on the typewriter keyboard that shifts from lower-case letters to upper-case letters wordnet
12
A change of workers, now specifically a set group of workers or period of working time. countable, uncountable
"We'll work three shifts a day till the job's done."
13
a qualitative change wordnet
14
The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle. US, countable, uncountable
"Does it come with a stick-shift?"
15
an event in which something is displaced without rotation wordnet
16
Alternative spelling of Shift (“a modifier button of computer keyboards”). alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
"If you press shift-P, the preview display will change."
17
a crew of workers who work for a specific period of time wordnet
18
A control code or character used to change between different character sets. countable, uncountable
19
(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other wordnet
20
A control code or character used to change between different character sets.; An instance of the use of such a code or character. countable, uncountable
21
the time period during which you are at work wordnet
22
A bit shift. countable, uncountable
23
An infield shift. countable, uncountable
"Teams often use a shift against this lefty."
24
The act of kissing passionately. Ireland, often, uncountable, usually
"She flicked her hair out of her eyes again and looked into yours as you put your hands on her waist. Then her tongue was in your mouth and yours was in hers. You were getting the shift. Ye were shifting."
25
A contrivance, a device to try when other methods fail. archaic, countable, uncountable
"If I get down, and do not break my limbs, I'll find a thousand shifts to get away: As good to die and go, as die and stay."
26
A trick, an artifice. archaic, countable, uncountable
"And if the boy have not a woman's gift To rain a shower of commanded tears, An onion will do well for such a shift"
27
The extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints. countable, uncountable
28
A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault. countable, uncountable
29
A mutation in which the DNA or RNA from two different sources (such as viruses or bacteria) combine. countable, uncountable
"This kind of change, called shift - or more memorably, 'viral sex' - tends to trigger a pandemic, because a radically different virus demands a radically different immune response, and that takes time to mobilise."
30
In violin-playing, any position of the left hand except that nearest the nut. countable, uncountable
31
A period of time in which one's consciousness resides in another reality, usually achieved through meditation or other means. countable, uncountable
32
be done; ruined British, countable, slang, uncountable

Verb

1
To move from one place to another; to redistribute. figuratively, sometimes, transitive
"We'll have to shift these boxes to the downtown office."
2
make a shift in or exchange of wordnet
3
To change in form or character; switch. ergative, figuratively
"As a result, I shifted my approach to focus on group-generated activities and broadened the chronological time frame."
4
move and exchange for another wordnet
5
To change position; to move. figuratively, intransitive, reflexive, sometimes
"She shifted slightly in her seat."

Show 28 more definitions

6
lay aside, abandon, or leave for another wordnet
7
To change residence; to leave and live elsewhere. India, intransitive
"We are shifting to America next month."
8
change gears wordnet
9
To change (clothes, especially underwear); to change the clothes of. obsolete, transitive
"'Tis very good to wash his hands and face often, to shift his clothes, to have fair linen about him, to be decently and comely attired […]."
10
move from one setting or context to another wordnet
11
To change (someone's) clothes; sometimes specifically, to change underwear. obsolete, reflexive, transitive
"As it were, to ride day and night; and […] not to have patience to shift me."
12
change in quality wordnet
13
To change gears (in an automobile). intransitive
"I crested the hill and shifted into fifth."
14
change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change wordnet
15
To move the keys of a typewriter over in order to type capital letters or special characters.
16
use a shift key on a keyboard wordnet
17
To switch to a character entry mode for capital letters or special characters.
18
move abruptly wordnet
19
To manipulate a binary number by moving all of its digits left or right; compare rotate. transitive
"Shifting 1001 to the left yields 10010; shifting it right yields 100."
20
change place or direction wordnet
21
To remove (the first value from an array). transitive
22
move sideways or in an unsteady way wordnet
23
To dispose of, remove. transitive
"How can I shift a grass stain?"
24
move very slightly wordnet
25
To hurry; to move quickly. intransitive
"If you shift, you might make the 2:19."
26
move around wordnet
27
To engage in sexual petting with. Ireland, slang, transitive, vulgar
"The question is what she's done to Waldron, said Eric. Look at him hiding in his locker there. Come on, spit it out. Did you shift her?"
28
To resort to expedients for accomplishing a purpose; to cope, get by, manage, make do. archaic, intransitive
"[…] men in distress will look to themselves in the First Place, and leave their Companions to Shift as well as they can."
29
To practice indirect or evasive methods; to contrive. intransitive
"But this I dare auow of all those Schoole-men, that though they were exceeding wittie, yet they better teach all their Followers to shift, then to resolue, by their distinctions."
30
In violin-playing, to move the left hand from its original position next to the nut. intransitive
31
To use meditation or other means to change the reality that one's consciousness resides in. intransitive
"I finally shifted to Hogwarts last night!"
32
To steal or kidnap. Nigeria, slang
33
To crouch in game, especially if the shift key is pressed to initiate crouching.

Etymology

Etymology 1

The noun is from Middle English schyft, shyffte. Cognate with German Schicht (“layer, shift”). The verb is from Middle English schiften, from Old English sċiftan (“to divide, separate into shares; appoint, ordain; arrange, organise”), from Proto-Germanic *skiftijaną, *skiptijaną, from earlier *skipatjaną (“to organise, put in order”), from Proto-Indo-European *skeyb- (“to separate, divide, part”), from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, divide, separate, part”). Cognate with Scots schift, skift (“to shift”), West Frisian skifte, skiftsje (“to sort”), Dutch schiften (“to sort, screen, winnow, part”), German schichten (“to stack, layer”), Swedish skifta (“to shift, change, exchange, vary”), Norwegian skifte (“to shift”), Icelandic skipta (“to switch”). See ship.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

From shift.

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