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shifter

American

[shif-ter] / ˈʃɪf tər /

noun

a person or thing that shifts.
Informal. shift lever.

Etymology

Origin of shifter

First recorded in 1545–55; shift + -er ¹

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.

The researchers discovered that a protein within this system, called GldJ, acts as a type of gear shifter that controls the direction of the motor.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Tick the paddle shifter, the wailing revs slip slightly—a kind of warble—then head through the roof again.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Actor Rashida Jones, the daughter of composer Quincy Jones, commemorated her late father on Thursday with a bounty of descriptors, calling him a giant, icon, culture shifter and genius.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2024

The 34-year-old left the crossbar shoogling with a ferocious effort, that felt at the time like a possible momentum shifter.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2024

This fairy was a shape- shifter, and a cruel one at that.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023