- shift
- ▪ I. shift shift 1 [ʆɪft] noun [countable]1. HUMAN RESOURCES one of the set periods of time during each day and night when a group of workers in a factory etc are at work before being replaced by another group of workers:
• She works an eight-hour shift.
• Are you on the day shift or the night shift?
ˈback shift HUMAN RESOURCESa shift in a factory from 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon until 12 o'clock at nightˈgraveyard shift informal HUMAN RESOURCESa regular period of time that people work during the night:• To support his family, Frank found temporary work on the graveyard shift at a local tool company.
ˈsplit shift HUMAN RESOURCESa shift that is divided into two or more parts on the same day:• Catering assistants work split shifts (7-10 am, 4-7 pm) to cover breakfasts and evening meals.
ˈswing shift HUMAN RESOURCESa shift in a factory from 3 or 4 o'clock in the afternoon until 12 o'clock at night2. HUMAN RESOURCES the group of workers who work shifts:• The night shift was just about to go off duty.
3. a change in the way people think about something, in the way something is done etc:swing shift in• The best way to measure shifts in a country's exchange rate is to use its trade-weighted exchange rate.
swing shift from/to• the shift from private to institutional shareholders
• The shift to larger out-of-town sites has influenced consumer spending patterns.
ˈparadigm ˌshifta complete change in your attitude towards the economy or a particular industry, caused by an event or discovery that has changed your way of thinking:• The use of gigabit networks has enabled a major paradigm shift to image-based communication.
to move or sell something:• This deal is the key to shifting about A$3 billion of debt off the balance sheet.
• We shifted 10,000 units last week.
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Ⅰ.shift UK US /ʃɪft/ verb► [T] to move something to a different place or position: shift sth to sth »They shifted the money to another account.
shift sth out of sth »Rising costs forced them to shift manufacturing work out of Europe.
► [I or T] to change an opinion, idea, etc.: »shift focus/emphasis/attention
shift (sth) away from sth »They have shifted the emphasis of the business away from traditional manufacturing.
shift (sth) towards sth »The company has shifted towards a more flexible marketing mix.
»HR have shifted their position on overtime working and this will no longer be encouraged.
► [T] INFORMAL COMMERCE to manage to sell goods: »At that time, Sony had shifted 30 million Playstation3 consoles since launch.
»The sales projections were over-optimistic and left them with $100 million of stock they couldn't shift.
Ⅱ.shift UK US /ʃɪft/ noun► [C] HR, WORKPLACE an agreed period of time during the day or night when particular employees work, in a factory, hospital, etc.: »He worked an 8 hour shift at the hospital.
begin/end your shift »They begin their shift at 4pm.
► [C] HR, WORKPLACE the group of workers who work at a particular time: the day/night/late shift »We work until 8am, when the day shift takes over.
► [C, usually singular] a movement or change in something: a shift in sth »There's been a major shift in strategy.
a shift away from/towards sth »The shift towards specialisation favours smaller firms.
► [U] IT on a computer keyboard, a key that changes the letter, number, or symbol that would normally appear when you press another key at the same time: »Press shift to capitalize letters.
→ See also BACK SHIFT(Cf. ↑back shift), GRAVEYARD SHIFT(Cf. ↑graveyard shift), NIGHT SHIFT(Cf. ↑night shift), PARADIGM SHIFT(Cf. ↑paradigm shift), SWING SHIFT(Cf. ↑swing shift)
Financial and business terms. 2012.
