Grope vs. Shift

To reach about uncertainly; feel one's way

move or cause to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance

To search blindly or uncertainly

change gear in a vehicle

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

be evasive or indirect

(Slang) To handle or fondle for sexual pleasure.

a slight change in position, direction, or tendency

The act or an instance of groping.

each of two or more recurring periods in which different groups of workers do the same jobs in relay

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

a woman's straight unwaisted dress.

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.

an ingenious or devious device or stratagem

To touch (another person) closely and (especially) sexually.

To exchange (one thing) for another of the same class

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.

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

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

To alter (position or place).

(informal) An act of groping, especially sexually.

To change (gears), as in an automobile.

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

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

To feel with or use the hands; to handle.

To change position, direction, place, or form.

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.

To provide for one's own needs; get along

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

To get along by tricky or evasive means.

To examine; to test; to sound.

To change gears, as when driving an automobile.

the act of groping; and instance of groping

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

feel about uncertainly or blindly;

To use a shift key.

search blindly or uncertainly;

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

fondle for sexual pleasure;

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

The working period of such a group

A means to an end; an expedient.

A stratagem; a trick.

A change in direction

A change in attitude, judgment, or emphasis.

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

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

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

(Geology) See fault.

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

The act or an instance of using a shift key.

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

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

Functional shift.

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

A woman's undergarment; a slip or chemise.

(historical) A type of women's undergarment of dress length worn under dresses or skirts, a slip or chemise.

A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.

A change of workers, now specifically a set group of workers or period of working time.

An act of shifting; a slight movement or change.

(US) The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle.

alternative spelling of Shift.

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

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

(computing) A bit shift.

(baseball) An infield shift.

The act of kissing passionately.

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

(archaic) A trick, an artifice.

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

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

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

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

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

To move from one place to another; to redistribute.

To change in form or character; swap.

(intransitive) To change position.

To change residence; to leave and live elsewhere.

To change (clothes, especially underwear).

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

(intransitive) To change gears (in a car).

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

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

To manipulate a binary number by moving all of its digits left or right; compare rotate.

To remove the first value from an array.

(transitive) To dispose of.

(intransitive) To hurry; to move quickly.

To engage in sexual petting.

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

To practice indirect or evasive methods.

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

To change the reality one's consciousness resides in through meditation or other means.

To divide; to distribute; to apportion.

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.

To change the position of; to alter the bearings of; to turn; as, to shift the helm or sails.

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.

To change the clothing of; - used reflexively.

To put off or out of the way by some expedient.

To divide; to distribute.

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.

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

To practice indirect or evasive methods.

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

The act of shifting.

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

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.

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

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

A change of the position of the hand on the finger board, in playing the violin.

an event in which something is displaced without rotation

a qualitative change

the time period during which you are at work

the act of changing one thing or position for another;

the act of moving from one place to another;

(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other;

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

a woman's sleeveless undergarment

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

make a shift in or exchange of;

change place or direction;

move around;

move very slightly;

move from one setting or context to another;

change in quality;

move and exchange for another;

move sideways or in an unsteady way;

move abruptly;

use a shift key on a keyboard;

change phonetically as part of a systematic historical change;

change gears;

lay aside, abandon, or leave for another;