shift

(noun) an event in which something is displaced without rotation. Synonyms: displacement.

(noun) a qualitative change. Synonyms: transformation, transmutation.

(noun) the time period during which you are at work. Synonyms: work shift, duty period.

(noun) the act of changing one thing or position for another. Synonyms: switch, switching. Examples: "His switch on abortion cost him the election."

(noun) the act of moving from one place to another. Synonyms: shifting. Examples: "His constant shifting disrupted the class."

(noun) (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other. Synonyms: fault, faulting, geological fault, fracture, break. Examples: "They built it right over a geological fault." "He studied the faulting of the earth's crust."

(noun) a crew of workers who work for a specific period of time.

(noun) the key on the typewriter keyboard that shifts from lower-case letters to upper-case letters. Synonyms: shift key.

(noun) a woman's sleeveless undergarment. Synonyms: chemise, shimmy, slip, teddy.

(noun) a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist. Synonyms: chemise, sack.

(verb) make a shift in or exchange of. Synonyms: switch, change over. Examples: "First joe led; then we switched."

(verb) change place or direction. Synonyms: dislodge, reposition. Examples: "Shift one's position."

(verb) move around. Synonyms: transfer. Examples: "Transfer the packet from his trouser pockets to a pocket in his jacket."

(verb) move very slightly. Synonyms: stir, budge, agitate. Examples: "He shifted in his seat."

(verb) move from one setting or context to another. Examples: "Shift the emphasis." "Shift one's attention."

(verb) change in quality. Examples: "His tone shifted."

(verb) move and exchange for another. Examples: "Shift the date for our class reunion."

(verb) move sideways or in an unsteady way. Synonyms: careen, wobble, tilt. Examples: "The ship careened out of control."

(verb) move abruptly. Synonyms: lurch, pitch. Examples: "The ship suddenly lurched to the left."

(verb) use a shift key on a keyboard. Examples: "She could not shift so all her letters are written in lower case."

(verb) change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change. Examples: "Grimm showed how the consonants shifted."

(verb) change gears. Examples: "You have to shift when you go down a steep hill."

(verb) lay aside, abandon, or leave for another. Synonyms: switch, change. Examples: "Switch to a different brand of beer." "She switched psychiatrists." "The car changed lanes."