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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

I marveled at a totally useless feature that allowed me to brake via a steering wheel–mounted paddle shifter, like a trigger on a PlayStation controller.

From Slate • Jun. 22, 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

Toby threw the shifter into park and jumped out, singing the last words of the song loudly into the parking lot.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss

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