shifter
/ʃˈɪftɚ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.02 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A word whose meaning changes depending on the situation, as by deixis.
noun
A control device (usually a lever or button) for shifting gears in a gearbox, or an arrangement for shifting a belt sidewise from one pulley to another.
noun
A component used by the rider to control the gearing mechanisms and select the desired gear ratio, usually connected to the derailleur by a mechanical actuation cable.
Example Sentences
- "The cigarette is analogous to what linguists call a shifter, like the word I ; this device for expressing the irreducible particularity of my innermost self is universally available to every speaker and is thus the least particular thing in the world. The smoker manipulates the cigarette, like the word I, to tell stories to him/herself about him/herself — or to an other."
- "'Twas ſuch a ſhifter, that if truth were known, / Death was half glad when he had got him down;"
Etymology
From shift + -er.
Usage
- Dated
- Australian usage
- American usage