Shift″ing, a. 1. Changing in place, position, or direction; varying; variable; fickle; as, shifting winds; shifting opinions or principles.
2. Adapted or used for shifting anything.
Shifting backstays(Naut.), temporary stays that have to be let go whenever the vessel tacks or jibes. — Shifting ballast, ballast which may be moved from one side of a vessel to another as safety requires. — Shifting center. See Metacenter. — Shifting locomotive. See Switching engine, under Switch.