Switch vs. Shift — What's the Difference?

In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of switch is an electromechanical device consisting of one or more sets of movable electrical contacts connected to external circuits.

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

A device for making and breaking the connection in an electric circuit

Change gear in a vehicle

An act of changing to or adopting one thing in place of another

Be evasive or indirect

A slender, flexible shoot cut from a tree.

A slight change in position, direction, or tendency

A set of points on a railway track.

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

A tress of false or detached hair tied at one end, used in hairdressing to supplement natural hair.

A woman's straight unwaisted dress.

Change the position, direction, or focus of

An ingenious or devious device or stratagem

Beat or flick with or as if with a switch.

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

An exchange or a swap, especially one done secretly.

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

A transference or shift, as of opinion or attention.

To alter (position or place).

A device used to break or open an electric circuit or to divert current from one conductor to another.

To change (gears), as in an automobile.

A device consisting of two sections of railroad track and accompanying apparatus used to transfer rolling stock from one track to another.

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

A slender flexible rod, stick, or twig, especially one used for whipping.

To change position, direction, place, or form.

The bushy tip of the tail of certain animals

To provide for one's own needs; get along

A thick strand of real or synthetic hair used as part of a coiffure.

To get along by tricky or evasive means.

A flailing or lashing, as with a slender rod

To change gears, as when driving an automobile.

To exchange

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

To shift, transfer, or divert

To use a shift key.

To connect, disconnect, or divert (an electric current) by operating a switch.

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

To cause (an electric current or appliance) to begin or cease operation

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

(Informal) To produce as if by operating a control. Often used with on

The working period of such a group

To move (rolling stock) from one track to another; shunt.

A means to an end; an expedient.

To whip with a switch, especially in punishing a child.

A stratagem; a trick.

To jerk or swish abruptly or sharply

A change in direction

To make or undergo a shift or an exchange

A change in attitude, judgment, or emphasis.

To swish sharply from side to side.

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

A device to turn electric current on and off or direct its flow.

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

A change or exchange.

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

A movable section of railroad track which allows the train to be directed down one of two destination tracks; (set of) points.

(Geology) See fault.

A slender woody plant stem used as a whip; a thin, flexible rod, associated with corporal punishment in the United States.

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

(musical instruments) rute.

The act or an instance of using a shift key.

(computer science) A command line notation allowing specification of optional behavior.

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

A programming construct that takes different actions depending on the value of an expression.

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

A networking device connecting multiple wires, allowing them to communicate simultaneously, when possible. Compare to the less efficient hub device that solely duplicates network packets to each wire.

Functional shift.

(telecommunication) A system of specialized relays, computer hardware, or other equipment which allows the interconnection of a calling party's telephone line with any called party's line.

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

(genetics) A mechanism within DNA that activates or deactivates a gene.

A woman's undergarment; a slip or chemise.

(BDSM) One who is willing to take either a submissive or a dominant role in a sexual relationship.

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

(historical) A separate mass or tress of hair, or of some substance (such as jute) made to resemble hair, formerly worn on the head by women.

A simple straight-hanging, loose-fitting dress.

(card games) A variant of crazy eights where one card, such as an ace, reverses the direction of play.

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

(transitive) To exchange.

An act of shifting; a slight movement or change.

(transitive) To change (something) to the specified state using a switch.

(US) The gear mechanism in a motor vehicle.

To whip or hit with a switch.

Alternative spelling of Shift.

(intransitive) To change places, tasks, etc.

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

To get angry suddenly; to quickly or unreasonably become enraged.

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

To swing or whisk.

(computing) A bit shift.

To be swung or whisked.

(baseball) An infield shift.

To trim.

The act of kissing passionately.

To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; generally with off, from, etc.

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

(ecclesiastical) To shift to another circuit.

(archaic) A trick, an artifice.

(snowboarding) Pertaining to riding with the front and back feet swapped round compared to one's normal position.

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

Pertaining to skiing backwards.

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

A small, flexible twig or rod.

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

A movable part of a rail; or of opposite rails, for transferring cars from one track to another.

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

A separate mass or trees of hair, or of some substance (at jute) made to resemble hair, worn on the head by women.

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

A device for shifting an electric current to another circuit, or for making and breaking a circuit.

To move from one place to another; to redistribute.

To strike with a switch or small flexible rod; to whip.

To change in form or character; swap.

To swing or whisk; as, to switch a cane.

(intransitive) To change position.

To trim, as, a hedge.

To change residence; to leave and live elsewhere.

To turn from one railway track to another; to transfer by a switch; - generally with off, from, etc.; as, to switch off a train; to switch a car from one track to another.

To change (clothes, especially underwear).

To shift to another circuit.

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

To walk with a jerk.

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

Control consisting of a mechanical or electrical or electronic device for making or breaking or changing the connections in a circuit

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

An event in which one thing is substituted for another;

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

Hairpiece consisting of a tress of false hair; used by women to give shape to a coiffure

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

Railroad track having two movable rails and necessary connections; used to turn a train from one track to another or to store rolling stock

To remove the first value from an array.

A flexible implement used as an instrument of punishment

(transitive) To dispose of.

A basketball maneuver; two defensive players shift assignments so that each guards the player usually guarded by the other

(intransitive) To hurry; to move quickly.

The act of changing one thing or position for another;

To engage in sexual petting.

Change over, change around, or switch over

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

Exchange or give (something) in exchange for

To practice indirect or evasive methods.

Lay aside, abandon, or leave for another;

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

Make a shift in or exchange of;

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

Cause to go on or to be engaged or set in operation;

To divide; to distribute; to apportion.

Flog with or as if with a flexible rod

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.

Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action)

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;