shift key

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noun

a typewriter key that determines whether characters are printed in upper or lower case and controls the printing of numbers and symbols.

Computers. a key that performs the same functions as on a typewriter keyboard and also controls other functions, depending on the program: To print a file, depress the shift key and a function key.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of shift key

First recorded in 1900–05

Words nearby shift key

shift bid, shifter, shift for oneself, shifting cultivation, shifting spanner, shift key, shiftless, shift lever, shift lock, shiftwork, shifty

How to use shift key in a sentence

The one you first drew my attention to; the one marked 'Shift key.'
One of My Sons|Anna Katharine Green
Look at the top of that key, sir—the one with the words, 'Shift key' on it.
One of My Sons|Anna Katharine Green
Oh, little house on the plains, when our typewriter forgets thee, may this shift key lose its function!
Plum Pudding|Christopher Morley
On the other hand, machines like the Smith Premier have no shift key, but a double keyboard.
Psychology and Industrial Efficiency|Hugo Mnsterberg

It is evident that both the shift-key arrangement and the double keyboard have their particular psychological advantages.
Psychology and Industrial Efficiency|Hugo Mnsterberg

British Dictionary definitions for shift key

shift key

noun

a key on a typewriter or computer keyboard used to type capital letters and certain numbers and symbols

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012