DEFINITION
SHIFT:
• (v. t.) To divide; to distribute; to apportion.
• (v. t.) 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.
• (v. t.) To change the position of; to alter the bearings of; to
turn; as, to shift the helm or sails.
• (v. t.) 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.
• (v. t.) To change the clothing of; -- used reflexively.
• (v. t.) To put off or out of the way by some expedient.
• (v. t.) The act of shifting.
• (v. t.) The act of putting one thing in the place of another, or
of changing the place of a thing; change; substitution.
• (v. t.) Something frequently shifted; especially, a woman's
under-garment; a chemise.
• (v. t.) 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.
• (v. t.) In building, the extent, or arrangement, of the
overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses
so as to break joints.
• (v. t.) A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.
• (v. t.) A change of the position of the hand on the finger board,
in playing the violin.