shift

I UK [ʃɪft] / US verb
Word forms "shift":
present tense I/you/we/they shift he/she/it shifts present participle shifting past tense shifted past participle shifted
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1) [intransitive/transitive] if an idea, attitude, or plan shifts, or if someone shifts it, it changes

Public opinion had shifted sharply to the left following the war.

shift your ground:

Most newspapers have shifted their ground considerably on this issue.

shift attention/focus/emphasis:

The government has shifted its attention away from the fight against crime.

Britain's focus is shifting back towards its old partners in Europe.

a) to change from one gear to another when you are driving a car

She shifted smoothly into third gear as we went into the bend.

b) to make someone or something else responsible for something, especially when this is unfair

shift blame/responsibility:

They want to shift the blame for rising unemployment onto the recession.

2) [intransitive/transitive] to move your body or a part of your body slightly, for example because you are bored

The children are shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

shift your weight:

Martha shifted her weight from foot to foot.

a) [transitive] British informal to move an object from one place to another

We'll need to shift this table over to the wall.

b) [intransitive/transitive] if things such as land or buildings shift, or if something shifts them, they move slightly

The wall is shifting a couple of inches every year.

c) [intransitive/transitive] to move your eyes in order to look at something else

shift your eyes/gaze:

She stared at him, then shifted her gaze to the suitcase on the bed.

3)

a) [transitive] British informal to get rid of something

None of the medicines I've taken have shifted this cold.

There's still a stain on the carpet that I can't shift.

b) informal to sell something

The supermarkets shift more wine in a weekend than we do all year.

4) [intransitive] computing to press the shift key on a computer keyboard

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- shift gears

II UK [ʃɪft] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "shift":
singular shift plural shifts
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1)

a) a period of work time in a factory, hospital, or other place where some people work during the day and some work at night

a 12-hour shift

day/night/evening etc shift:

Rudolfo works the day shift.

b) the people who work during a particular shift

2) a change in something, for example in someone's ideas or opinions

the government's latest major policy shift

shift in:

Companies were reacting too slowly to shifts in consumer demand.

shift towards:

There has been a recent shift towards involving more laypeople in decision making.

3) computing a shift key on a computer keyboard

4) a woman's dress that hangs down straight