Shift: Encyclopedia - Shift

Shift

Shift may refer to

• a movement
• the shift key on a keyboard, harking back to typewriter days
• in computing, the analogue for literal strings, for example barrel shifter (bit shift)
• in computing, the bit shift is a bitwise operator
• the analogue in mathematics, e.g. a shift operator
• arithmetic shift in telecommunication
• derived meanings of change, such as red shift, Great vowel shift, paradigm shift
• a work shift, typically eight hours between set times; see shift work, graveyard shift, swing shift
• in music, a shift is a change of level and is similar to but more basic and general than a chord change. On a string instrument a shift is a movement of the left hand in order to play sounds that are beyond the range of the previous hand position.
• a simple kind of undergarment, also known as a chemise (smock)
• in sailing, a shift of Points of sail, see Shift (sailing).
• Shift the Ape, a character in the Chronicles of Narnia series.

See also

• Shapeshift

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Shift", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki