Meaning of shift | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A movement to do something, a beginning.
   countable, uncountable
2. 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).
3. An act of shifting; a slight movement or change.
   countable, uncountable
4. inefficient, lazy, or without a set purpose. He's rather shiftless – he's had four jobs in six months. doelloos عَديم الحيلَه некадърен indolente neschopný, líný unbeholfen uduelig νωθρός, ανίκανος, που δεν έχει στόχους perezoso saamatu بي دست وپا saamaton fainéant חֲסַר תוּשִייָה असमर्थ, निरुपाय lijen, nesnalažljiv élhetetlen tidak mantap latur, duglaus incapace どうしようもない 주변 없는 ištižęs, tingus kūtrs; slinks malas doelloosudugelig, lat, ustadig gnuśny, opieszały لټې، بې لاس اوپښې توب indolente...
5. A share, a portion assigned on division.
   countable, obsolete, uncountable
6. doelloosheid عَدَم وُجود الحيلَه некадърност indolência bezmocnost die Unbeholfenheit uduelighed νωθρότητα, ανικανότηταpereza saamatus بي دست وپايي saamattomuus fainéantiseעצלות असमर्थता bespomoćnost, nespretnost élhetetlenség; lustaság ketidakmantapan leti, dugleysi incapacità 無策 주변 없음 tingumas kūtrums; slinkums kemalasan doelloosheidudugelighet, ustadighet gnuśność, opieszałość لټ، بيكاره، بې پروا indolência lenevie беспомощность, бестолковость nešikovnosť nesposobnost lenjost opraktiskhet,...
7. A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise.
   countable, historical, uncountable
8. looking cunning and dishonest. I don't trust him – he has a very shifty look. oneerlik ماكِر، مُتَقَلِّب измамен manhoso záludný verschlagen upålidelig πανούργος, ανέντιμοςfurtivo, sospechoso silmakirjalik حيله گر epäluotettavan näköinen sournoisערמומי शातिराना vješt, lukav sunyi licik lymskulegur ingannevole ずるい 교활한, 간사한 suktas, gudrus viltīgs; blēdīgs licik onbetrouwbaarupålitelig, flakkende nie budzący zaufania, podejrzany لټ، بيكاره، بې پروا manhoso viclean, refăcut хитрый zradný; vyhýbav...
9. A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.
   countable, uncountable
10. oneerlik بِمَكْرٍ، بِتَقَلُّب измамно manhosamente záludně verschlagen upålideligt πανούργα, ανέντιμα sospechosamente riukalikult زرنگ arveluttavasti sournoisement בְּצוּרָה עַרמוּמִית बहानेबाजी से, धूर्तता से, चुरता से lukavo, snalažljivo ravaszul dengan licik lymskulega ingannevolmente ずる賢く 교활하게 suktai viltīgi; blēdīgi secara licik onbetrouwbaarupålitelig, flakkende podejrzanie زرنګ manhosamente cu viclenie хитро zradne; vyhýbavo pretkano podmuklo opålitligt, lömskt อย่างมีกลอุบาย hilekârca...
11. A change of workers, now specifically a set group of workers or period of working time.
    countable, uncountable
12. oneerlikheid مَكْر، تَقَلُّب измамничество dissimulação záludnost die Verschlagenheit upålidelighed πανουργίαsospecha riukalikkus زرنگي arveluttavuus sournoiserieערמומיות बहानेबाजी, धूर्तता promjenjivost, nepouzdanost ravaszság kelicikan lymska astuzia ずるさ 교활함 suktumas viltīgums; blēdīgums kelicikan onbetrouwbaarheidupålitelighet podejrzany charakter زرنګی dissimulação viclenie хитрость zradnosť pretkanost podmuklost opålitlighet, lömskhet ความมีกลอุบาย hilekârlık 看似狡猾 спритність; ненадійніст...
13. The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle.
    US, countable, uncountable
14. To exchange (one thing) for another of the same class: shifted assignments among the students.
15. Alternative spelling of Shift (“a modifier button of computer keyboards”).
    alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
16. To move or transfer from one place or position to another.
17. A control code or character used to change between different character sets.
    countable, uncountable
18. To alter (position or place).
19. An instance of the use of such a code or character.
    countable, uncountable
20. To change (gears), as in an automobile.
21. A bit shift.
    countable, uncountable
22. Linguistics To alter phonetically as part of a systematic historical change.
    Linguistics
23. An infield shift.
    countable, uncountable
24. The act of kissing passionately.
    Ireland, often, uncountable, usually
25. A contrivance, a device to try when other methods fail.
    archaic, countable, uncountable
26. A trick, an artifice.
    archaic, countable, uncountable
27. The extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.
    countable, uncountable
28. A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.
    countable, uncountable
29. A mutation in which the DNA or RNA from two different sources (such as viruses or bacteria) combine.
    countable, uncountable
30. In violin-playing, any position of the left hand except that nearest the nut.
    countable, uncountable
31. A period of time in which one's consciousness resides in another reality, usually achieved through meditation or other means.
    countable, uncountable
32. be done; ruined
    British, countable, slang, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“There was a shift in the political atmosphere.”

“c. 1620-1626, Henry Wotton, letter to Nicholas Pey My going to Oxford was not merely for shift of air.”

“The generational shift Mr. Obama once embodied is, in fact, well under way, but it will not change Washington as quickly — or as harmoniously — as a lot of voters once hoped.”

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

“No; without a gown, in a shift that was somewhat of the coarsest, and none of the cleanest, bedewed likewise with some odoriferous effluvia, the produce of the day's labour, with a pitchfork in her hand, Molly Seagrim approached.”

“At length, one night, when the company by some accident broke up much sooner than ordinary, so that the candles were not half burnt out, she was not able to resist the temptation, but resolved to have them some way or other. Accordingly, as soon as the hurry was over, and the servants, as she thought, all gone to sleep, she stole out of her bed, and went down stairs, naked to her shift as she was, with a design to steal them […]”

“Some wear black shifts and flesh-coloured stockings; some with curly hair, dyed yellow, are dressed like little girls in short muslin frocks.”

“We'll work three shifts a day till the job's done.”

“Work commenced at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday and continued without break until 4 a.m. on Monday morning, in the course of which three shifts of upwards of 90 men each and three steam cranes were employed.”

“Does it come with a stick-shift?”

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

“Teams often use a shift against this lefty.”

“She flicked her hair out of her eyes again and looked into yours as you put your hands on her waist. Then her tongue was in your mouth and yours was in hers. You were getting the shift. Ye were shifting.”

“[If] I went on dates with these two [alcohols], right, you're a deep meaningful conversation with this one, … but this one? A shift and a finger and maybe you'd go home, do you know what I mean?”

“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.”

“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”

“Reduced to pitiable shifts.”

“I'll find a thousand shifts to get away.”

“Little souls on little shifts rely.”

“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.”

CEFR level