1. (

• shift ,
• shifting

) the act of moving from one place to another; "his constant shifting disrupted the class" ;

1. (

• switch ,
• change_over ,
• shift

) make a shift in or exchange of; "First Joe led; then we switched" ;

2. (

• shift ,
• dislodge ,
• reposition

) change place or direction; "Shift one's position" ;

3. (

• transfer ,
• shift ,

) move around; "transfer the packet from his trouser pockets to a pocket in his jacket" ;

4. (

• stir ,
• shift ,
• budge ,
• agitate

) move very slightly; "He shifted in his seat" ;

5. (

• shift ,

) move from one setting or context to another; "shift the emphasis"; "shift one's attention" ;

6. (

• shift ,

) change in quality; "His tone shifted" ;

7. (

• shift ,

) move and exchange for another; "shift the date for our class reunion" ;

8. (

• careen ,
• wobble ,
• shift ,
• tilt ,

) move sideways or in an unsteady way; "The ship careened out of control" ;

9. (

• lurch ,
• pitch ,
• shift ,

) move abruptly; "The ship suddenly lurched to the left" ;

10. (

• shift ,

) use a shift key on a keyboard; "She could not shift so all her letters are written in lower case" ;

11. (

• shift ,

) change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change; "Grimm showed how the consonants shifted" ;

12. (

• shift ,

) change gears; "you have to shift when you go down a steep hill" ;

13. (

• switch ,
• shift ,
• change ,

) lay aside, abandon, or leave for another; "switch to a different brand of beer"; "She switched psychiatrists"; "The car changed lanes" ;

1. (

• shifting

) continuously varying; "taffeta with shifting colors" ;

2. (

• shifting ,
• shifty

) changing position or direction; "he drifted into the shifting crowd"; "their nervous shifting glances"; "shifty winds" ;

3. (

• shifting ,
• unfirm

) (of soil) unstable; "shifting sands"; "unfirm earth" ;