Shifting : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: Shifting	by the DICT Development Group
4 results for Shifting
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
shifting adj continuously varying; "taffeta with shifting colors" changing position or direction; "he drifted into the shifting crowd"; "their nervous shifting glances"; "shifty winds" Synonym(s): shifting, shifty (of soil) unstable; "shifting sands"; "unfirm earth" Synonym(s): shifting, unfirm n the act of moving from one place to another; "his constant shifting disrupted the class" Synonym(s): shift, shifting
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Shift \Shift\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Shifted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Shifting}.] [OE. shiften, schiften, to divide, change, remove. AS. sciftan to divide; akin to LG. & D. schiften to divide, distinguish, part Icel. skipta to divide, to part, to shift, to change, Dan skifte, Sw. skifta, and probably to Icel. sk[c6]fa to cut into slices, as n., a slice, and to E. shive, sheave, n., shiver, n.] 1. To divide; to distribute; to apportion. [Obs.] To which God of his bounty would shift Crowns two of flowers well smelling. --Chaucer. 2. To change the place of; to move or remove from one place to another; as, to shift a burden from one shoulder to another; to shift the blame. Hastily he schifte him[self]. --Piers Plowman. Pare saffron between the two St. Mary's days, Or set or go shift it that knowest the ways. --Tusser. 3. To change the position of; to alter the bearings of; to turn; as, to shift the helm or sails. Carrying the oar loose, [they] shift it hither and thither at pleasure. --Sir W. Raleigh. 4. To exchange for another of the same class; to remove and to put some similar thing in its place; to change; as, to shift the clothes; to shift the scenes. I would advise you to shift a shirt. --Shak. 5. To change the clothing of; -- used reflexively. [Obs.] As it were to ride day and night; and . . . not to have patience to shift me. --Shak. 6. To put off or out of the way by some expedient. [bd]I shifted him away.[b8] --Shak. {To shift off}, to delay; to defer; to put off; to lay aside. {To shift the scene}, to change the locality or the surroundings, as in a play or a story. Shift the scene for half an hour; Time and place are in thy power. --Swift.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Shifting \Shift"ing\, a. 1. Changing in place, position, or direction; varying; variable; fickle; as, shifting winds; shifting opinions or principles. 2. Adapted or used for shifting anything. {Shifting backstays} (Naut.), temporary stays that have to be let go whenever the vessel tacks or jibes. {Shifting ballast}, ballast which may be moved from one side of a vessel to another as safety requires. {Shifting center}. See {Metacenter}. {Shifting locomotive}. See {Switching engine}, under {Switch}.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Use \Use\, n. [OE. us use, usage, L. usus, from uti, p. p. usus, to use. See {Use}, v. t.] 1. The act of employing anything, or of applying it to one's service; the state of being so employed or applied; application; employment; conversion to some purpose; as, the use of a pen in writing; his machines are in general use. Books can never teach the use of books. --Bacon. This Davy serves you for good uses. --Shak. When he framed All things to man's delightful use. --Milton. 2. Occasion or need to employ; necessity; as, to have no further use for a book. --Shak. 3. Yielding of service; advantage derived; capability of being used; usefulness; utility. God made two great lights, great for their use To man. --Milton. 'T is use alone that sanctifies expense. --Pope. 4. Continued or repeated practice; customary employment; usage; custom; manner; habit. Let later age that noble use envy. --Spenser. How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world! --Shak. 5. Common occurrence; ordinary experience. [R.] O C[91]sar! these things are beyond all use. --Shak. 6. (Eccl.) The special form of ritual adopted for use in any diocese; as, the Sarum, or Canterbury, use; the Hereford use; the York use; the Roman use; etc. From henceforth all the whole realm shall have but one use. --Pref. to Book of Common Prayer. 7. The premium paid for the possession and employment of borrowed money; interest; usury. [Obs.] Thou art more obliged to pay duty and tribute, use and principal, to him. --Jer. Taylor. 8. [In this sense probably a corruption of OF. oes, fr. L. opus need, business, employment, work. Cf. {Operate}.] (Law) The benefit or profit of lands and tenements. Use imports a trust and confidence reposed in a man for the holding of lands. He to whose use or benefit the trust is intended shall enjoy the profits. An estate is granted and limited to A for the use of B. 9. (Forging) A stab of iron welded to the side of a forging, as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging. {Contingent}, [or] {Springing}, {use} (Law), a use to come into operation on a future uncertain event. {In use}. (a) In employment; in customary practice observance. (b) In heat; -- said especially of mares. --J. H. Walsh. {Of no use}, useless; of no advantage. {Of use}, useful; of advantage; profitable. {Out of use}, not in employment. {Resulting use} (Law), a use, which, being limited by the deed, expires or can not vest, and results or returns to him who raised it, after such expiration. {Secondary}, [or] {Shifting}, {use}, a use which, though executed, may change from one to another by circumstances. --Blackstone. {Statute of uses} (Eng. Law), the stat. 27 Henry VIII., cap. 10, which transfers uses into possession, or which unites the use and possession. {To make use of}, {To put to use}, to employ; to derive service from; to use.