Part 325

5. (Her.) The escutcheon or field on which are placed the bearings in coats of arms. Cf. Lozenge. See Illust. of Escutcheon.

6. (Mining & Tunneling) A framework used to protect workmen in making an adit under ground, and capable of being pushed along as excavation progresses.

7. A spot resembling, or having the form of, a shield. "Bespotted as with shields of red and black." Spenser.

8. A coin, the old French crown, or écu, having on one side the figure of a shield. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Shield fern (Bot.), any fern of the genus Aspidium, in which the fructifications are covered with shield-shaped indusia; -- called also wood fern. See Illust. of Indusium.

Shield (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shielded; p. pr. & vb. n. Shielding.] [AS. scidan, scyldan. See Shield, n.] 1. To cover with, or as with, a shield; to cover from danger; to defend; to protect from assault or injury.

Shouts of applause ran ringing through the field, To see the son the vanquished father shield.

Dryden.

A woman's shape doth shield thee.

Shak.

2. To ward off; to keep off or out.

They brought with them their usual weeds, fit to shield the cold to which they had been inured.

Spenser.

3. To avert, as a misfortune; hence, as a supplicatory exclamation, forbid! [Obs.]

God shield that it should so befall.

Chaucer.

God shield I should disturb devotion!

Shak.

Shield"-bear`er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, carries a shield.

2. (Zoöl.) Any small moth of the genus Aspidisca, whose larva makes a shieldlike covering for itself out of bits of leaves.

Shield"drake` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A sheldrake.

Shield"less, a. Destitute of a shield, or of protection. -- Shield"less*ly, adv. -- Shield"less*ness, n.

Shield"tail` (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any species of small burrowing snakes of the family Uropeltidæ, native of Ceylon and Southern Asia. They have a small mouth which can not be dilated.

Shiel"ing (?), n. A hut or shelter for shepherds of fishers. See Sheeling. [Scot.]

Shift (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shifted; p. pr. & vb. n. Shifting.] [OE. shiften, schiften, to divide, change, remove. AS. sciftan to divide; akin to LG. & D. schiften to divide, distinguish, part Icel. skipta to divide, to part, to shift, to change, Dan skifte, Sw. skifta, and probably to Icel. skfa to cut into slices, as n., a slice, and to E. shive, sheave, n., shiver, n.] 1. To divide; to distribute; to apportion. [Obs.]

To which God of his bounty would shift Crowns two of flowers well smelling.

Chaucer.

2. 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.