shifting

Pluralshiftings

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of shift. Use this form for an action happening now or as the name of the action.

   The wind keeps shifting, so the flags turn every which way.

   Shifting all the boxes by hand took the whole afternoon.

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   A change or movement from one place or position to another.

   Like sand slowly sliding to a new spot.

   The slow shifting of the dunes buried the old fence.

   A sudden shifting in the cargo tipped the small boat.

   Similarmovement, change, drift, alteration

   Note
3. 3
   noununcountable

   When two words or phrases on the same side of a main word swap places to make an unusual word order.

   Like two people in a line trading spots so they stand in a different order.

   The shifting of those two phrases gave the sentence a strange but allowed order.

   She explained how shifting lets two parts on one side of the verb swap places.

   Note

Showing meanings only. Show all 3