day shift

American  

[dey shift] / ˈdeɪ ˌʃɪft /

noun

1. the workforce, as of a factory, scheduled to work during the daytime.

2. the scheduled period of labor for this workforce.

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day shift British  

noun

1. 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

2. the period worked

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Etymology

Origin of day shift

First recorded in 1870–75

Compare meaning

How does day-shift compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• day shift vs. night shift

Example Sentences

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

Ordinarily, between 1,700 and 2,000 job orders are posted during a typical day shift, and between 1,100 and 1,400 are posted during a standard night shift.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 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

At St. Anthony, an ECRN’s typical day shift starts with a night-shift report and a 7 a.m. bedside nurse huddle, which ECRNs join via Zoom.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2023

One time they switched me from the night shift to the day shift, so I worked sixteen hours straight.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut