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shift

 

  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Shift  \Shift\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Shifted};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Shifting}.]  [OE.  shiften,  schiften,  to  divide,  change, 
  remove.  AS  sciftan  to  divide;  akin  to  LG  &  D.  schiften  to 
  divide,  distinguish,  part  Icel.  skipta  to  divide,  to  part  to 
  shift,  to  change,  Dan  skifte  Sw  skifta  and  probably  to 
  Icel.  sk[=i]fa  to  cut  into  slices,  as  n.,  a  slice,  and  to  E. 
  shive,  sheave,  n.,  shiver,  n.] 
  1.  To  divide;  to  distribute;  to  apportion.  [Obs.] 
 
  To  which  God  of  his  bounty  would  shift  Crowns  two  of 
  flowers  well  smelling.  --Chaucer. 
 
  2.  To  change  the  place  of  to  move  or  remove  from  one  place 
  to  another;  as  to  shift  a  burden  from  one  shoulder  to 
  another;  to  shift  the  blame. 
 
  Hastily  he  schifte  him[self].  --Piers 
  Plowman. 
 
  Pare  saffron  between  the  two  St  Mary's  days,  Or  set 
  or  go  shift  it  that  knowest  the  ways.  --Tusser. 
 
  3.  To  change  the  position  of  to  alter  the  bearings  of  to 
  turn;  as  to  shift  the  helm  or  sails. 
 
  Carrying  the  oar  loose,  [they]  shift  it  hither  and 
  thither  at  pleasure.  --Sir  W. 
  Raleigh. 
 
  4.  To  exchange  for  another  of  the  same  class;  to  remove  and 
  to  put  some  similar  thing  in  its  place  to  change;  as  to 
  shift  the  clothes;  to  shift  the  scenes. 
 
  I  would  advise  you  to  shift  a  shirt.  --Shak. 
 
  5.  To  change  the  clothing  of  --  used  reflexively.  [Obs.] 
 
  As  it  were  to  ride  day  and  night;  and  .  .  .  not  to 
  have  patience  to  shift  me  --Shak. 
 
  6.  To  put  off  or  out  of  the  way  by  some  expedient.  ``I 
  shifted  him  away.''  --Shak. 
 
  {To  shift  off},  to  delay;  to  defer;  to  put  off  to  lay  aside. 
 
 
  {To  shift  the  scene},  to  change  the  locality  or  the 
  surroundings,  as  in  a  play  or  a  story. 
 
  Shift  the  scene  for  half  an  hour;  Time  and  place  are 
  in  thy  power.  --Swift. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Shift  \Shift\,  n.  [Cf.  Icel  skipti  See  {Shift},  v.  t.] 
  1.  The  act  of  shifting.  Specifically: 
  a  The  act  of  putting  one  thing  in  the  place  of  another, 
  or  of  changing  the  place  of  a  thing  change; 
  substitution. 
 
  My  going  to  Oxford  was  not  merely  for  shift  of 
  air.  --Sir  H. 
  Wotton. 
  b  A  turning  from  one  thing  to  another;  hence  an 
  expedient  tried  in  difficalty;  often  an  evasion;  a 
  trick;  a  fraud.  ``Reduced  to  pitiable  shifts.'' 
  --Macaulay. 
 
  I  'll  find  a  thousand  shifts  to  get  away 
  --Shak. 
 
  Little  souls  on  little  shifts  rely.  --Dryden. 
 
  2.  Something  frequently  shifted;  especially,  a  woman's 
  under-garment;  a  chemise. 
 
  3.  The  change  of  one  set  of  workmen  for  another;  hence  a 
  spell,  or  turn,  of  work  also  a  set  of  workmen  who  work 
  in  turn  with  other  sets;  as  a  night  shift. 
 
  4.  In  building,  the  extent,  or  arrangement,  of  the 
  overlapping  of  plank,  brick,  stones,  etc.,  that  are  placed 
  in  courses  so  as  to  break  joints. 
 
  5.  (Mining)  A  breaking  off  and  dislocation  of  a  seam;  a 
  fault. 
 
  6.  (Mus.)  A  change  of  the  position  of  the  hand  on  the  finger 
  board,  in  playing  the  violin. 
 
  {To  make  shift},  to  contrive  or  manage  in  an  exigency.  ``I 
  shall  make  shift  to  go  without  him.''  --Shak. 
 
  [They]  made  a  shift  to  keep  their  own  in  Ireland. 
  --Milton. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  shift 
  n  1:  an  event  in  which  something  is  displaced  without  rotation 
  [syn:  {displacement}] 
  2:  a  qualitative  change  [syn:  {transformation},  {transmutation}] 
  3:  the  time  period  during  which  you  are  at  work  [syn:  {work 
  shift},  {duty  period}] 
  4:  the  act  of  changing  one  thing  or  position  for  another;  "his 
  switch  on  abortion  cost  him  the  election"  [syn:  {switch}, 
  {switching}] 
  5:  the  act  of  moving  from  one  place  to  another  [syn:  {shifting}] 
  6:  a  group  of  workers  who  work  for  a  specific  period  of  time 
  7:  a  woman's  sleeveless  undergarment  [syn:  {chemise},  {shimmy}, 
  {slip},  {teddies},  {teddy}] 
  8:  a  loose-fitting  dress  hanging  straight  from  the  shoulders 
  without  a  waist  [syn:  {chemise},  {sack}] 
  v  1:  make  a  shift  in  or  exchange  of  "First  Joe  led;  then  we 
  switched"  [syn:  {switch},  {change  over},  {turn  around}] 
  2:  change  place  or  direction;  "Shift  one's  position"  [syn:  {dislodge}, 
  {reposition}] 
  3:  move  around  "transfer  the  packet  from  his  trouser  pockets 
  to  a  pocket  in  his  jacket"  [syn:  {transfer}] 
  4:  move  very  slightly;  "He  shifted  in  his  seat"  [syn:  {stir},  {budge}, 
  {agitate}] 
  5:  move  from  one  setting  or  context  to  another;  "shift  the 
  emphasis";  "shift  one's  attention" 
  6:  change  in  quality;  "His  tone  shifted" 
  7:  "shift  the  date" 
  8:  move  sideways  or  in  an  unsteady  way  as  of  a  ship  or  a 
  vehicle  out  of  control  [syn:  {careen},  {sway},  {wobble},  {tilt}] 
  9:  move  abruptly  [syn:  {lurch},  {pitch}] 
  10:  lay  aside,  abandon,  or  leave  for  another;  "switch  to  a 
  different  brand  of  beer";  "She  switched  psychiatrists"; 
  "The  car  changed  lanes"  [syn:  {switch},  {change}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  SHIFT 
 
  Scalable  Heterogeneous  Integrated  Facility  Testbed.  A 
  parallel  processing  project  at  CERN.




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