# shift

Pronunciation: say "SHIFT" /ʃɪft/

## Noun

1. A slight movement or change; the act of moving from one position or state to another.
   - Simple: A small movement or change.
   - _A subtle shift in her expression gave away her disappointment._
   - _The poll recorded a measurable shift toward younger candidates._
2. A group of workers scheduled together, or the stretch of working time they cover.
   - Simple: A group of workers who work together at the same time, or the hours they work.
   - _Nurses on the overnight shift handle most of the emergencies._
   - _The factory runs three shifts a day to meet demand._
5. The mechanism a driver uses to change gears in a motor vehicle; a gearshift. *(US)*
   - Simple: The set of parts in a car used to change gears.
   - _The mechanic replaced the worn shift in the old pickup._
   - _A loose shift can make changing gears difficult on the highway._
10. A simple, loose-fitting dress that hangs straight from the shoulders.
   - Simple: A simple, loose dress that hangs straight down.
   - _The boutique sold a sleeveless shift in three pastel colors._
   - _She slipped a gray wool shift over her blouse for the office._
11. A defensive realignment in baseball in which infielders move toward the side of the field where the batter is most likely to hit.
   - Simple: In baseball, moving the infielders to one side to match where a batter usually hits the ball.
   - _The manager ordered a shift, stacking three infielders on the right side._
   - _Hitting against the shift, he poked the ball into the open left side._
12. A woman's dress-length undergarment worn beneath dresses or skirts; a slip or chemise.
   - Simple: A long, simple piece of underwear that women once wore under dresses.
   - _Beneath her gown she wore only a thin cotton shift._
   - _In the 1700s, women wore a plain linen shift under their heavy gowns and petticoats._
15. The act of kissing someone passionately. *(slang, Ireland)*
   - Simple: The act of kissing someone with a lot of passion.
   - _He was hoping for a shift by the end of the night out._
   - _Everyone at the debs saw her getting the shift off Ciarán in the middle of the dance floor._

## Verb

3. To move or change from one position, place, direction, or state to another; to change in form, character, or kind.
   - Simple: To move, or to change from one position, state, or kind to another.
   - _Public opinion shifted sharply after the scandal broke._
   - _Over the years, attitudes shift as new generations grow up._
4. To move something from one place to another, or to redistribute it.
   - Simple: To move something from one place to another.
   - _The government shifted funding away from rural clinics._
   - _Coaches shift players between positions to find the best fit._
6. To change gears in a motor vehicle.
   - Simple: To change gears while driving a car.
   - _New drivers often forget to shift when slowing for a turn._
   - _She shifted down to second as the road grew steep._
7. To change one's residence; to leave one place and go to live elsewhere. *(India)*
   - Simple: To move to a new home and live somewhere else.
   - _After the wedding they shifted to a cottage by the coast._
   - _Families often shift when the children outgrow the house._
9. To press the Shift key or lever on a keyboard or typewriter so as to type capital letters or special characters.
   - Simple: To press the Shift key so that you type capital letters or other special characters.
   - _On an old typewriter, you had to shift each time you wanted a capital letter._
   - _Typing a password full of symbols means you have to shift several times._
13. To dispose of or remove something, often by selling or clearing it away. *(colloquial, UK)*
   - Simple: To get rid of something or move it away.
   - _They slashed prices to shift unsold stock before the new season._
   - _I've had this cough for three weeks and I just can't shift it._
14. To hurry or move quickly from one place to another.
   - Simple: To move fast or hurry to get somewhere.
   - _You'll have to shift if you want to catch the last train._
   - _That little dog can really shift when it spots a squirrel._
8. To make out with someone, kissing and caressing them sexually. *(slang, Ireland)*
   - Simple: To kiss and touch someone in a sexual way.
   - _Did you shift him after the disco, or are the girls making it all up?_
   - _Half our year shifted someone at the debs, and the whole school knew by Monday._

## Other meanings

- (noun) In computing, a control code or character that switches between different character sets, or one use of such a code.
- (noun) A bitwise operation that moves the binary digits of a value left or right by a given number of positions.
- (verb) To move all the digits of a binary number to the left or right.
- (verb) In programming, to take the leading element off an array.
- (noun) In virology, an abrupt, major change in a virus, chiefly influenza A, when gene segments from two strains combine to form a new subtype.
- (verb) To resort to indirect or evasive methods; to contrive or manage by craft.
- (verb) Of a violinist or other string player, to move the left hand along the fingerboard from one position to another, in either direction.
- (noun) In violin playing, any position of the left hand other than the one nearest the nut.
- (noun) A move or beginning made toward accomplishing something.
- (noun) In construction, the extent or arrangement of the overlap between planks, bricks, or stones laid in courses so that their joints do not align.
- (noun) A period during which one's consciousness resides in another reality, usually reached through meditation or similar means.
- (verb) To use meditation or other methods to change the reality in which one's consciousness resides.
- (noun) A part given to each person when something is split up.
- (noun) A fallback plan or makeshift measure turned to once normal approaches have failed.
- (noun) A sly scheme meant to deceive or evade.
- (noun) In mining, a place where a seam of coal or ore is broken and pushed out of line.
- (verb) To swap one's garments, especially underwear, for others, or to do the same for another person.
- (verb) To dress another person in clean garments, at times just fresh undergarments.
- (verb) To manage somehow with whatever means are available, as in shift for oneself.
- (verb) To take something or someone away unlawfully, by theft or abduction.
- (verb) In video games, to make a character duck low, typically by holding down the Shift key.

## Origin

Middle English schyft is the source of the noun, which is related to German Schicht ("layer, shift"). The verb goes back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut, divide, separate," which passed through Proto-Germanic to Old English sċiftan ("to divide, separate, arrange") and then Middle English schiften. Related words include Dutch schiften ("to sort") and Swedish skifta ("to change").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/shift (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).