Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Shift \Shift\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Shifted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Shifting}.] [OE. shiften, schiften, to divide, change,
   remove. AS. sciftan to divide; akin to LG. & D. schiften to
   divide, distinguish, part Icel. skipta to divide, to part, to
   shift, to change, Dan skifte, Sw. skifta, and probably to
   Icel. sk[=i]fa to cut into slices, as n., a slice, and to E.
   shive, sheave, n., shiver, n.]
   1. To divide; to distribute; to apportion. [Obs.]

            To which God of his bounty would shift Crowns two of
            flowers well smelling.                --Chaucer.

   2. 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.

            Hastily he schifte him[self].         --Piers
                                                  Plowman.

            Pare saffron between the two St. Mary's days, Or set
            or go shift it that knowest the ways. --Tusser.

   3. To change the position of; to alter the bearings of; to
      turn; as, to shift the helm or sails.

            Carrying the oar loose, [they] shift it hither and
            thither at pleasure.                  --Sir W.
                                                  Raleigh.

   4. 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.

            I would advise you to shift a shirt.  --Shak.

   5. To change the clothing of; -- used reflexively. [Obs.]

            As it were to ride day and night; and . . . not to
            have patience to shift me.            --Shak.

   6. To put off or out of the way by some expedient. ``I
      shifted him away.'' --Shak.

   {To shift off}, to delay; to defer; to put off; to lay aside.
      

   {To shift the scene}, to change the locality or the
      surroundings, as in a play or a story.

            Shift the scene for half an hour; Time and place are
            in thy power.                         --Swift.

Shifting \Shift"ing\, a.
   1. Changing in place, position, or direction; varying;
      variable; fickle; as, shifting winds; shifting opinions or
      principles.

   2. Adapted or used for shifting anything.

   {Shifting backstays} (Naut.), temporary stays that have to be
      let go whenever the vessel tacks or jibes.

   {Shifting ballast}, ballast which may be moved from one side
      of a vessel to another as safety requires.

   {Shifting center}. See {Metacenter}.

   {Shifting locomotive}. See {Switching engine}, under
      {Switch}.

Use \Use\, n. [OE. us use, usage, L. usus, from uti, p. p. usus,
   to use. See {Use}, v. t.]
   1. The act of employing anything, or of applying it to one's
      service; the state of being so employed or applied;
      application; employment; conversion to some purpose; as,
      the use of a pen in writing; his machines are in general
      use.

            Books can never teach the use of books. --Bacon.

            This Davy serves you for good uses.   --Shak.

            When he framed All things to man's delightful use.
                                                  --Milton.

   2. Occasion or need to employ; necessity; as, to have no
      further use for a book. --Shak.

   3. Yielding of service; advantage derived; capability of
      being used; usefulness; utility.

            God made two great lights, great for their use To
            man.                                  --Milton.

            'T is use alone that sanctifies expense. --Pope.

   4. Continued or repeated practice; customary employment;
      usage; custom; manner; habit.

            Let later age that noble use envy.    --Spenser.

            How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me
            all the uses of this world!           --Shak.

   5. Common occurrence; ordinary experience. [R.]

            O C[ae]sar! these things are beyond all use. --Shak.

   6. (Eccl.) The special form of ritual adopted for use in any
      diocese; as, the Sarum, or Canterbury, use; the Hereford
      use; the York use; the Roman use; etc.

            From henceforth all the whole realm shall have but
            one use.                              --Pref. to
                                                  Book of Common
                                                  Prayer.

   7. The premium paid for the possession and employment of
      borrowed money; interest; usury. [Obs.]

            Thou art more obliged to pay duty and tribute, use
            and principal, to him.                --Jer. Taylor.

   8. [In this sense probably a corruption of OF. oes, fr. L.
      opus need, business, employment, work. Cf. {Operate}.]
      (Law) The benefit or profit of lands and tenements. Use
      imports a trust and confidence reposed in a man for the
      holding of lands. He to whose use or benefit the trust is
      intended shall enjoy the profits. An estate is granted and
      limited to A for the use of B.

   9. (Forging) A stab of iron welded to the side of a forging,
      as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by
      hammering, so as to lengthen the forging.

   {Contingent}, or {Springing}, {use} (Law), a use to come into
      operation on a future uncertain event.

   {In use}.
      (a) In employment; in customary practice observance.
      (b) In heat; -- said especially of mares. --J. H. Walsh.

   {Of no use}, useless; of no advantage.

   {Of use}, useful; of advantage; profitable.

   {Out of use}, not in employment.

   {Resulting use} (Law), a use, which, being limited by the
      deed, expires or can not vest, and results or returns to
      him who raised it, after such expiration.

   {Secondary}, or {Shifting}, {use}, a use which, though
      executed, may change from one to another by circumstances.
      --Blackstone.

   {Statute of uses} (Eng. Law), the stat. 27 Henry VIII., cap.
      10, which transfers uses into possession, or which unites
      the use and possession.

   {To make use of}, {To put to use}, to employ; to derive
      service from; to use.

Source : WordNet®

shifting
     adj 1: continuously moving or changing from position or direction;
            "he drifted into the shifting crowd"; "their nervous
            shifting glances"
     2: continuously varying; "taffeta with shifting colors"
     3: (of soil) unstable; "shifting sands"; "unfirm earth" [syn: {unfirm}]
     n : the act of moving from one place to another; "his constant
         shifting disrupted the class" [syn: {shift}]