Noun
(plural shifters)
- One who, or that which, shifts or changes.
- (dated) One who plays tricks or practices artifice; a cozener.
- (nautical) An assistant to the ship's cook in washing, steeping, and shifting the salt provisions.
- (engineering) An arrangement for shifting a belt sidewise from one pulley to another.
- (engineering, textiles) A wire for changing a loop from one needle to another, as in narrowing, etc.
- (cycling) A component used by the rider to control the gearing mechanisms and select the desired gear ratio, usually connected to the derailleur by a mechanical actuation cable.
- A spanner with an adjustable jaw size.
Origin
shift + -er
