| Shift | |
| 1. n. (computing) 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). | |
| 2. n. (historical) A type of women's undergarment, a slip. | |
| Just last week she bought a new shift at the market. | |
| 3. n. A change of workers, now specifically a set group of workers or period of working time. | |
| We'll work three shifts a day till the job's done. | |
| 4. n. An act of shifting; a slight movement or change. | |
| There was a shift in the political atmosphere. | |
| 5. n. (US) The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle. | |
| Does it come with a stick-shift? | |
| 6. n. alternative spelling of Shift a modifier button of computer keyboards. | |
| If you press shift-P, the preview display will change. | |
| 7. n. (computing) A bit shift. | |
| 8. n. (baseball) The infield shift. | |
| Teams often use the shift against this lefty. | |
| 9. n. (Ireland, crude slang) The act of kissing passionately. | |
| 10. n. (archaic) A contrivance, device to try when other methods fail. | |
| 11. n. (archaic) A trick, an artifice. | |
| 12. n. In building, the extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints. | |
| 13. n. (mining) A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault. | |
| 14. n. (genetics) A mutation in which the DNA or RNA from two different sources (such as viruses or bacteria) combine. | |
| 15. v. To change, swap. | |
| 16. v. To move from one place to another; to redistribute. | |
| We'll have to shift these boxes to the downtown office. | |
| 17. v. (intransitive) To change position. | |
| She shifted slightly in her seat. | |
| His political stance shifted daily. | |
| 18. v. (obsolete, transitive) To change (one's clothes); also to change (someone's) underclothes. | |
| 19. v. (intransitive) To change gears (in a car). | |
| I crested the hill and shifted into fifth. | |
| 20. v. (typewriters) To move the keys of a typewriter over in order to type capital letters and special characters. | |
| 21. v. (computer keyboards) To switch to a character entry mode for capital letters and special characters. | |
| 22. v. (transitive, computing) To manipulate a binary number by moving all of its digits left or right; compare rotate. | |
| Shifting 1001 to the left yields 10010; shifting it right yields 100. | |
| 23. v. (transitive, computing) To remove the first value from an array. | |
| 24. v. To dispose of. | |
| How can I shift a grass stain? | |
| 25. v. (intransitive) To hurry. | |
| If you shift, you might make the 2:19. | |
| 26. v. (Ireland, vulgar, slang) To engage in sexual petting. | |
| 27. v. (archaic) To resort to expedients for accomplishing a purpose; to contrive; to manage. | |
| 28. v. To practice indirect or evasive methods. | |
