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Grope vs. Shift — What's the Difference?

Grope vs. Shift — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Grope and Shift

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Grope

To reach about uncertainly; feel one's way
Groped for the telephone.

Shift

Move or cause to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance
A team from the power company came to shift the cables away from the house
The roof cracked and shifted

Grope

To search blindly or uncertainly
Grope for an answer.

Shift

Change gear in a vehicle
She shifted down to fourth

Grope

To make (one's way) by reaching about uncertainly.
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Shift

Be evasive or indirect
They know not how to shift and rob as the old ones do

Grope

(Slang) To handle or fondle for sexual pleasure.

Shift

A slight change in position, direction, or tendency
A shift in public opinion

Grope

The act or an instance of groping.

Shift

Each of two or more recurring periods in which different groups of workers do the same jobs in relay
Anne was on the night shift

Grope

(obsolete) To feel with or use the hands; to handle.

Shift

A woman's straight unwaisted dress.

Grope

To search or attempt to find something in the dark, or, as a blind person, by feeling; to move about hesitatingly, as in darkness or obscurity; to feel one's way, as with the hands, when one can not see.

Shift

An ingenious or devious device or stratagem
The thousand shifts and devices of which Hannibal was a master

Grope

To touch (another person) closely and (especially) sexually.
The parents found the couple kissing and groping.

Shift

To exchange (one thing) for another of the same class
Shifted assignments among the students.

Grope

To intentionally and inappropriately touch or rub against another person, in such a manner as to make the contact appear accidental, for the purpose of one's sexual gratification.
That old man groped that girl on the train!

Shift

To move or transfer from one place or position to another.

Grope

(obsolete) To examine; to test; to sound.

Shift

To alter (position or place).

Grope

(informal) An act of groping, especially sexually.
The old man tried to get a quick grope of the young lady on the train.

Shift

To change (gears), as in an automobile.

Grope

(obsolete) An iron fitting of a medieval cart wheel.

Shift

(Linguistics) To alter phonetically as part of a systematic historical change.

Grope

To feel with or use the hands; to handle.

Shift

To change position, direction, place, or form.

Grope

To search or attempt to find something in the dark, or, as a blind person, by feeling; to move about hesitatingly, as in darkness or obscurity; to feel one's way, as with the hands, when one can not see.
We grope for the wall like the blind.
To grope a little longer among the miseries and sensualities ot a worldly life.

Shift

To provide for one's own needs; get along
"See me safe up.

Grope

To search out by feeling in the dark; as, we groped our way at midnight.

Shift

To get along by tricky or evasive means.

Grope

To examine; to test; to sound.
Felix gropeth him, thinking to have a bribe.

Shift

To change gears, as when driving an automobile.

Grope

The act of groping; and instance of groping

Shift

(Linguistics) To be altered as part of a systematic historical change. Used of speech sounds.

Grope

Feel about uncertainly or blindly;
She groped for her glasses in the darkness of the bedroom

Shift

To use a shift key.

Grope

Search blindly or uncertainly;
His mind groped to make the connection

Shift

A change from one person or configuration to another; a substitution.

Grope

Fondle for sexual pleasure;
He made some sexual advances at the woman in his office and groped her repeatedly

Shift

A group of workers that relieve another on a regular schedule.

Shift

The working period of such a group
Worked the night shift.

Shift

A means to an end; an expedient.

Shift

A stratagem; a trick.

Shift

A change in direction
A shift in the wind.

Shift

A change in attitude, judgment, or emphasis.

Shift

(Music) A change of the hand position in playing the violin or a similar instrument.

Shift

(Football) A rearrangement of players from one formation to another just prior to the snap of the ball.

Shift

(Baseball) A rearrangement of one or more fielders for improved defense against a particular hitter.

Shift

(Geology) See fault.

Shift

(Computers) Movement of characters in a register to the left or right, as of the bits in a byte.

Shift

The act or an instance of using a shift key.

Shift

(Physics) A change in wavelength, causing a movement of a spectral band or line.

Shift

A systematic change of the phonetic or phonemic structure of a language.

Shift

Functional shift.

Shift

A loosely fitting dress that hangs straight from the shoulder; a chemise.

Shift

A woman's undergarment; a slip or chemise.

Shift

(historical) A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise.
Just last week she bought a new shift at the market.

Shift

A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.

Shift

A change of workers, now specifically a set group of workers or period of working time.
We'll work three shifts a day till the job's done.

Shift

An act of shifting; a slight movement or change.
There was a shift in the political atmosphere.

Shift

(US) The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle.
Does it come with a stick-shift?

Shift

Alternative spelling of Shift.
If you press shift-P, the preview display will change.

Shift

(computing) A control code or character used to change between different character sets.

Shift

(computing) An instance of the use of such a code or character.

Shift

(computing) A bit shift.

Shift

(baseball) An infield shift.
Teams often use a shift against this lefty.

Shift

The act of kissing passionately.

Shift

(archaic) A contrivance, a device to try when other methods fail.

Shift

(archaic) A trick, an artifice.

Shift

(construction) The extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.

Shift

(mining) A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.

Shift

(genetics) A mutation in which the DNA or RNA from two different sources (such as viruses or bacteria) combine.

Shift

(music) In violin-playing, any position of the left hand except that nearest the nut.

Shift

A period of time in which one's consciousness resides in another reality, usually achieved through meditation or other means.

Shift

To move from one place to another; to redistribute.
We'll have to shift these boxes to the downtown office.

Shift

To change in form or character; swap.

Shift

(intransitive) To change position.
She shifted slightly in her seat.
His political stance shifted daily.

Shift

To change residence; to leave and live elsewhere.
We are shifting to America next month.

Shift

To change (clothes, especially underwear).

Shift

To change (someone's) clothes; sometimes specifically, to change underwear.

Shift

(intransitive) To change gears (in a car).
I crested the hill and shifted into fifth.

Shift

(typewriters) To move the keys of a typewriter over in order to type capital letters and special characters.

Shift

(computer keyboards) To switch to a character entry mode for capital letters and special characters.

Shift

To manipulate a binary number by moving all of its digits left or right; compare rotate.
Shifting 1001 to the left yields 10010; shifting it right yields 100.

Shift

To remove the first value from an array.

Shift

(transitive) To dispose of.
How can I shift a grass stain?

Shift

(intransitive) To hurry; to move quickly.
If you shift, you might make the 2:19.

Shift

To engage in sexual petting.

Shift

(archaic) To resort to expedients for accomplishing a purpose; to contrive; to manage.

Shift

To practice indirect or evasive methods.

Shift

(music) In violin-playing, to move the left hand from its original position next to the nut.

Shift

To change the reality one's consciousness resides in through meditation or other means.
I finally shifted to Hogwarts last night!

Shift

To divide; to distribute; to apportion.
To which God of his bounty would shiftCrowns two of flowers well smelling.

Shift

To change the place of; to move or remove from one place to another; as, to shift a burden from one shoulder to another; to shift the blame.
Hastily he schifte him[self].
Pare saffron between the two St. Mary's days,Or set or go shift it that knowest the ways.

Shift

To change the position of; to alter the bearings of; to turn; as, to shift the helm or sails.
Carrying the oar loose, [they] shift it hither and thither at pleasure.

Shift

To exchange for another of the same class; to remove and to put some similar thing in its place; to change; as, to shift the clothes; to shift the scenes.
I would advise you to shift a shirt.

Shift

To change the clothing of; - used reflexively.
As it were to ride day and night; and . . . not to have patience to shift me.

Shift

To put off or out of the way by some expedient.
Shift the scene for half an hour;Time and place are in thy power.

Shift

To divide; to distribute.
Some this, some that, as that him liketh shift.

Shift

To make a change or changes; to change position; to move; to veer; to substitute one thing for another; - used in the various senses of the transitive verb.
The sixth age shiftsInto the lean and slippered pantaloon.
Here the Baillie shifted and fidgeted about in his seat.

Shift

To resort to expedients for accomplishing a purpose; to contrive; to manage.
Men in distress will look to themselves, and leave their companions to shift as well as they can.

Shift

To practice indirect or evasive methods.
All those schoolmen, though they were exceeding witty, yet better teach all their followers to shift, than to resolve by their distinctions.

Shift

To slip to one side of a ship, so as to destroy the equilibrum; - said of ballast or cargo; as, the cargo shifted.

Shift

The act of shifting.
My going to Oxford was not merely for shift of air.
I 'll find a thousand shifts to get away.
Little souls on little shifts rely.

Shift

Something frequently shifted; especially, a woman's under-garment; a chemise.

Shift

The change of one set of workmen for another; hence, a spell, or turn, of work; also, a set of workmen who work in turn with other sets; as, a night shift.

Shift

In building, the extent, or arrangement, of the overlapping of plank, brick, stones, etc., that are placed in courses so as to break joints.

Shift

A breaking off and dislocation of a seam; a fault.

Shift

A change of the position of the hand on the finger board, in playing the violin.
[They] made a shift to keep their own in Ireland.

Shift

An event in which something is displaced without rotation

Shift

A qualitative change

Shift

The time period during which you are at work

Shift

The act of changing one thing or position for another;
His switch on abortion cost him the election

Shift

The act of moving from one place to another;
His constant shifting disrupted the class

Shift

(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other;
They built it right over a geological fault

Shift

A group of workers who work for a specific period of time

Shift

A woman's sleeveless undergarment

Shift

A loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist

Shift

Make a shift in or exchange of;
First Joe led; then we switched

Shift

Change place or direction;
Shift one's position

Shift

Move around;
Transfer the packet from his trouser pockets to a pocket in his jacket

Shift

Move very slightly;
He shifted in his seat

Shift

Move from one setting or context to another;
Shift the emphasis
Shift one's attention

Shift

Change in quality;
His tone shifted

Shift

Move and exchange for another;
Shift the date for our class reunion

Shift

Move sideways or in an unsteady way;
The ship careened out of control

Shift

Move abruptly;
The ship suddenly lurched to the left

Shift

Use a shift key on a keyboard;
She could not shift so all ther letters are written in lower case

Shift

Change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change;
Grimm showed how the consonants shifted

Shift

Change gears;
You have to shift when you go down a steep hill

Shift

Lay aside, abandon, or leave for another;
Switch to a different brand of beer
She switched psychiatrists
The car changed lanes

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