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¹shift

verb \ˈshift\

: to move or to cause (something or someone) to move to a different place, position, etc.

: to change or to cause (something) to change to a different opinion, belief, etc.

: to go or to cause (something) to go from one person or thing to another

Full Definition of SHIFT

transitive verb

: to exchange for or replace by another : change

a : to change the place, position, or direction of : move

b : to make a change in (place)

: to change phonetically

intransitive verb

a : to change place or position

b : to change direction <the wind shifted>

c : to change gears

d : to depress the shift key (as on a typewriter)

a : to assume responsibility <had to shift for themselves>

b : to resort to expedients

a : to go through a change <she shifted in her approach>

b : to change one's clothes

c : to become changed phonetically

— shift·able \ˈshif-tə-bəl\ adjective

— shift gears

: to make a change

See shift defined for English-language learners

See shift defined for kids

Origin of SHIFT

Middle English, from Old English sciftan to divide, arrange; akin to Old Norse skipa to arrange, assign

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to SHIFT

Synonyms: budge, dislocate, displace, disturb, relocate, remove, reposition, move, transfer, transpose

Antonyms: freeze, still

Rhymes with SHIFT

drift, gift, grift, lift, rift, shrift, sift, squiffed, swift, thrift

²shift

noun

: a change in position or direction

: a change in how something is done or how people think about something

: a group of people who work together during a scheduled period of time

Full Definition of SHIFT

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 shifts for a living — Benjamin Franklin>

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

a : a change in direction <a shift in the wind>

b : a change in emphasis, judgment, or attitude

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>

: 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

: a removal from one person or thing to another : transfer

: consonant shift

: a bid in bridge in a suit other than the suit one's partner has bid — compare jump

: gearshift

See shift defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of SHIFT

1523

Related to SHIFT

Synonyms: expedient, means, move, measure, step

Antonyms: motionlessness

Synonym Discussion of SHIFT

resource, resort, expedient, shift, makeshift, stopgap mean something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply. resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon <exhausted all of their resources> <a last resort>. expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible <a flimsy expedient>. shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient <desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure>. makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference <old equipment employed as a makeshift>. stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure <a new law intended only as a stopgap>.

SHIFTING Defined for Kids

¹shift

verb \ˈshift\

shift·edshift·ing

Definition of SHIFT for Kids

: to change or make a change in place, position, or direction <He … shifted his pipe away from the talking side of his mouth … — Christopher Paul Curtis, Bud, Not Buddy>

: to go through a change <Public opinion shifted in his favor.>

: to change the arrangement of gears transmitting power (as in an automobile)

: to get along without help : fend <I can shift for myself.>

²shift

noun

Definition of SHIFT for Kids

: a change in place, position, or direction <a shift in the wind>

: a change in emphasis or attitude <a shift in priorities>

: a group of workers who work together during a scheduled period of time

: the scheduled period of time during which one group of workers is working

: gearshift

Medical Dictionary

shift

noun \ˈshift\

Medical Definition of SHIFT

: a change in place, position, or frequency: as a : a change in frequency resulting in a change in position of a spectral line or band—compare doppler effect b : a removal or transfer from one thing or place to another—see chloride shift