To divide; partition; distribute; apportion; assign: as, to shift lands among coheirs.To transfer or move, as from one person, place, or position to another: as, to shift the blame; to shift one's quarters; to shift the load to the other shoulder.To cause or induce to move off or away; get rid of, as by the use of some expedient.To remove and replace with another or others; put off and replace; change: as, to shift one's clothes; to shift the scenes on a stage.To clothe (one's self) afresh or anew; change the dress of.To alter or vary in character, form, or other respect; change.To put away; disengage or disencumber one's self of, as of a burden or inconvenience.To make division or distribution.To change.To change place, position, direction, or the like; move.To change dress, particularly the under-garments.To use changing methods or expedients, as in a case of difficulty, in earning a livelihood, or the like; adopt expedients; contrive in one way or another; do the best one can; seize one expedient when another fails: as, to shift for a living; to shift for one's self.To pick up or make out a livelihood; manage to succeed.To practise indirect methods.In playing the violin or a similar instrument, to move the left hand from its first or original position next to the nut.Synonyms To vary, veer chop.n. Change; alteration or variation in kind, character, place, position, direction, or the like; the substitution of one thing, kind, position, direction, or the like for another.n. In playing the violin or a similar instrument, any position of the left hand except that nearest the nut.n. The substitution of one thing or set of things for another; a change: as, a shift of clothes.n. A woman's under-garment; a chemise.n. In mining, a slight fault or dislocation of a seam or stratum, accompanied by depression of one part, destroying the continuity.n. A squad or relay of men who alternate with another squad or relay in carrying on some work or operation; hence, the time during which such a squad or relay works: as, to be on the day shift; a night shift; the day is divided into three shifts of eight hours each.n. Turn; move; varying circumstance.n. An expedient, device, or contrivance which may be tried when others fail; a resource.n. n. A petty or indirect expedient; a dodge; a trick; an artifice.n. In building, a mode of arranging the tiers of bricks, timbers, planks, etc., so that the joints of adjacent rows shall not coincide.n. Synonyms Device, Resort, etc. (see expedient), stratagem.n. Subterfuge, etc. (see evasion), dodge, ruse, wile, quirk.n. In pianoforte-making, the action of the shifting pedal (which see).