shift key

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.

QUIZZES

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUNCTUATION QUIZ

Punctuation marks help make writing easy to read and understand. Some of the most important ones are the period (.), comma (,), question mark (?), and exclamation point (!). How well do you know how to use them? Find out in this quiz!

Question 1 of 10

Which punctuation mark is best for this sentence? "Can I watch a movie __"

comma (,)

period (.)

question mark (?)

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Origin of shift key

First recorded in 1900–05

Words nearby shift key

shier, shiest, shift, shift bid, shift for oneself, shift key, shift lever, shift lock, shift to left, shift to right, shiftable

Example sentences from the Web for shift key

Edwards has favored the full key-board as being less of a drain upon the attention than the "shift-key" machine.
The Fiction Factory|John Milton Edwards
It is evident that both the shift-key arrangement and the double keyboard have their particular psychological advantages.
Psychology and Industrial Efficiency|Hugo Mnsterberg
On the shift-key machine he must still struggle with the built-up exclamation point, the ditto quotes and the hyphen dash.
The Fiction Factory|John Milton Edwards

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