gearshift

[ geer-shift ]

noun

1. shift lever.
2. a device for selecting, engaging, and disengaging gears for a system for the transmission of power, especially in a motor vehicle.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gearshift¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; gear + shift

Example Sentences

The effect of the molecular gearshift could be fine-tuned by adjusting the size and structure of the stationary molecule attached to the gear molecule.

From Science Daily

The government hopes the prospect of cheaper running costs will create a gearshift in the minds of other drivers of the ubiquitous boda-bodas, most of whom still use petrol or diesel.

From BBC

It was clear the Dutchman would face no threat unless he ran into trouble and the Red Bull ran faultlessly, apart from some complaints from its driver about slow gearshifts.

From BBC

The car screeched to a stop on the side of the road, and I flipped the gearshift into park.

From Literature

That’s when “The Staircase” suggests a dramatic gearshift to something else entirely: the rare fictionalization that underscores the many narrative decisions that went into piecing together its ostensibly more straightforward, fly-on-the-wall precursor.

From Washington Post