day shift
Americannoun
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the workforce, as of a factory, scheduled to work during the daytime.
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the scheduled period of labor for this workforce.
noun
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a group of workers who work a shift during the daytime in an industry or occupation where a night shift or a back shift is also worked
-
the period worked
Etymology
Origin of day shift
First recorded in 1870–75
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She agreed to let him paint her in part because “he was funny and bought us nice food,” she said—heading to his studio after her day shift ended.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
“Let’s say you’re working a midnight shift and you’re in San Diego, but you’re covering for Sacramento, right? I could see that shift saying, ‘We’re going to let the day shift handle it,’” Tardy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2025
Since the drama stars Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, the attending physician on the day shift, associating it with NBC’s “ER” is understandable.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2025
Published in the Journal of Proteome Research, the study involved a controlled laboratory experiment with volunteers who were put on simulated night or day shift schedules for three days.
From Science Daily ● May 9, 2024
“You ain’t taking my car every day, woman, what if I get the day shift and need to—” “She paying me seventy dollars cash every Friday, Leroy.”
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.