to divide; to distribute; to apportion.-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.-to change the position of; to alter the bearings of; to turn; as, to shift the helm or sails.-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.-to change the clothing of; -- used reflexively.-to put off or out of the way by some expedient.-the act of shifting.-the act of putting one thing in the place of another, or of changing the place of a thing; change; substitution.-something frequently shifted; especially, a woman's under-garment; a chemise.-the change of one set of workmen for another; hence, a spell, or turn, of work; also, a set of workmen who work in turn with other sets; as, a night shift.-in building, the extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.-a breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.-a change of the position of the hand on the finger board, in playing the violin.