a gear stick (rarely spelled "gearstick"), gear lever (both, uk english), gearshift or shifter (us english) is a metal lever attached to the shift assembly in a manual transmission-equipped automobile and is used to change gears. in an automatic transmission-equipped vehicle, a similar device is known as a gear selector. a gear stick will normally be used to change gear whilst depressing the clutch pedal with the left foot to disengage the engine from the drivetrain and wheels. automatic transmission vehicles, semi-automatic transmissions, and those with continuously variable transmission gearboxes do not require a clutch pedal.