The noun shift has 10 senses (first 5 from tagged texts)
1. (5) shift, displacement -- (an event in which something is displaced without rotation)
2. (5) transformation, transmutation, shift -- (a qualitative change)
3. (3) shift, work shift, duty period -- (the time period during which you are at work)
4. (3) switch, switching, shift -- (the act of changing one thing or position for another; "his switch on abortion cost him the election")
5. (2) shift, shifting -- (the act of moving from one place to another; "his constant shifting disrupted the class")
6. fault, faulting, geological fault, shift, fracture, break -- ((geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other; "they built it right over a geological fault"; "he studied the faulting of the earth's crust")
7. shift -- (a crew of workers who work for a specific period of time)
8. shift key, shift -- (the key on the typewriter keyboard that shifts from lower-case letters to upper-case letters)
10. chemise, sack, shift -- (a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist)
Overview of verb shift
The verb shift has 13 senses (first 7 from tagged texts)
1. (13) switch, change over, shift -- (make a shift in or exchange of; "First Joe led; then we switched")
2. (12) shift, dislodge, reposition -- (change place or direction; "Shift one's position")
3. (5) transfer, shift -- (move around; "transfer the packet from his trouser pockets to a pocket in his jacket")
4. (2) stir, shift, budge, agitate -- (move very slightly; "He shifted in his seat")
5. (2) shift -- (move from one setting or context to another; "shift the emphasis"; "shift one's attention")
6. (1) shift -- (change in quality; "His tone shifted")
7. (1) shift -- (move and exchange for another; "shift the date for our class reunion")
8. careen, wobble, shift, tilt -- (move sideways or in an unsteady way; "The ship careened out of control")
9. lurch, pitch, shift -- (move abruptly; "The ship suddenly lurched to the left")
10. shift -- (use a shift key on a keyboard; "She could not shift so all her letters are written in lower case")
11. shift -- (change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change; "Grimm showed how the consonants shifted")
12. shift -- (change gears; "you have to shift when you go down a steep hill")
13. switch, shift, change -- (lay aside, abandon, or leave for another; "switch to a different brand of beer"; "She switched psychiatrists"; "The car changed lanes")