English Dictionary

shift

/ʃɪft/

noun

(historical) A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise. / A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.

I need to work the night shift tomorrow.

意味（1）

(historical) A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise.

Just last week she bought a new shift at the market.

意味（2）

A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.

意味（3）

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.

意味（4）

An act of shifting; a slight movement or change.

There was a shift in the political atmosphere.

意味（5）

(US) The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle.

Does it come with a stick-shift?

意味（6）

Alternative spelling of Shift (“a modifier button of computer keyboards”).

If you press shift-P, the preview display will change.

意味（7）

(computing) A control code or character used to change between different character sets.

意味（8）

(computing) An instance of the use of such a code or character.

意味（9）

(computing) A bit shift.

意味（10）

(baseball) An infield shift.

Teams often use a shift against this lefty.

意味（11）

(Ireland, crude slang, often with the definite article, usually uncountable) The act of kissing passionately.

意味（12）

(archaic) A contrivance, a device to try when other methods fail.

If I get down, and do not break my limbs,

I'll find a thousand shifts to get away:

If I get down, and do not break my limbs, I'll find a thousand shifts to get away: As good to die and go, as die and stay.

意味（13）

(archaic) A trick, an artifice.

And if the boy have not a woman's gift

To rain a shower of commanded tears,

And if the boy have not a woman's gift To rain a shower of commanded tears, An onion will do well for such a shift

意味（14）

(construction) The extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.

意味（15）

(mining) A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.

意味（16）

(genetics) A mutation in which the DNA or RNA from two different sources (such as viruses or bacteria) combine.

This kind of change, called shift - or more memorably, 'viral sex' - tends to trigger a pandemic, because a radically different virus demands a radically different immune response, and that takes time to mobilise.

意味（17）

(music) In violin-playing, any position of the left hand except that nearest the nut.

意味（18）

A period of time in which one's consciousness resides in another reality, usually achieved through meditation or other means.