shift

1 verb

1 MOVE

a) (I, T) to move from one place or position to another, or make something do this: Jonas stood and listened, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. | The sun had shifted around to the west. | She shifted her gaze from me to Bobby with a look of suspicion.

b) (T) informal to move something, especially by picking it up and carrying it: Give me a hand to shift these chairs.

2 shift attention/emphasis/focus to change a situation, discussion etc by giving special attention to one idea or subject instead of to a previous one: The president is shifting the focus of the debate to foreign policy issues. | attention/emphasis/focus shifts: Under these new arrangements, the emphasis has shifted from state provision to personal responsibility.

3 COSTS/SPENDING (transitive always + adv/prep) to change the way that money is paid or spent: This simply shifts the cost of medical insurance from employer to employee. | the need to shift more resources towards the alleviation of poverty

4 OPINIONS (I, T) to change your opinions or beliefs, especially about political matters: Opinion in the country was beginning to shift to the right. | shifting attitudes towards marriage | shift your ground (=change your opinion): The government shifted its ground, and gradually lent its support to African nationalism.

5 shift the blame/responsibility to make someone else responsible for something, especially for something bad that has happened: It was a blatant attempt to shift the responsibility for the crime on to the victim.

6 DIRT/MARKS (T) BrE to remove dirt or marks from a surface or piece of clothing: a new washing powder that will shift any stain

7 IN A CAR (I, T) especially AmE to change the gears (gear1 (1)) when you are driving: I shifted into second gear.

2 noun (C)

1 a change in the way people think about something, in the way something is done etc

(+ from/to): a major shift from manufacturing to service industries (+ in): a shift in emphasis from defense spending to civilian spending | a marked shift (=a very noticeable change): There has been a marked shift in attitudes towards homosexuality. 2

a) one of the periods during each day and night when workers in a factory, hospital etc are at work: do/work a shift: I usually work the night shift, which is from 10 at night till 6 in the morning. | Do you do shift work?

b) the workers who work during one of these periods

3

a) a simple straight loose-fitting woman's dress

b) old use a similar piece of clothing worn as underwear

4 the key 1 (3) on a computer or typewriter 1 (3) that you press to print a capital letter: To run the spellchecker, press SHIFT and F7.

5 old use a clever trick or method