Shift

1. A loosely fitting dress that hangs straight from the shoulder; a chemise. A woman's undergarment; a slip or chemise. She loved to wear a shift for evening events.
2. To exchange (one thing) for another of the same class. The teacher shifted assignments among the students.
3. To change (gears), as in an automobile. He shifted back into second gear on the hill.
4. To provide for one's own needs; get along. Don't worry about me, I can shift for myself.
5. A group of workers that relieve another on a regular schedule. I worked the night shift at the phone company.
6. A change in direction. The shift in the wind blew the smoke into our eyes.

7. To get along by tricky or evasive means. She was known as a shifty manipulator.
8. To select uppercase characters by depressing a key on a typewriter or computer keyboard. Holding the shift key will give you capital letters.
9. In football the rearrangement of players from one formation to another just prior to the snap of the ball. They shifted to a new defensive position.