Part 328

J. A. Syminds.

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.

Shift"ing*ly, adv. In a shifting manner.

Shift"less, a. Destitute of expedients, or not using successful expedients; characterized by failure, especially by failure to provide for one's own support, through negligence or incapacity; hence, lazy; improvident; thriftless; as, a shiftless fellow; shiftless management. -- Shift"less*ly, adv. -- Shift"less*ness, n.

Shift"y (?), a. Full of, or ready with, shifts; fertile in expedients or contrivance. Wright.

Shifty and thrifty as old Greek or modern Scot, there were few things he could not invent, and perhaps nothing he could not endure.

C. Kingsley.

{ Shi"ite (?), Shi"ah (?) }, n. [Ar. sh'aa follower of the sect of Ali, fr. sh'at, sh'ah, a multitude following one another in pursuit of the same object, the sect of Ali, fr. sh'a to follow.] A member of that branch of the Mohammedans to which the Persians belong. They reject the first three caliphs, and consider Ali as being the first and only rightful successor of Mohammed. They do not acknowledge the Sunna, or body of traditions respecting Mohammed, as any part of the law, and on these accounts are treated as heretics by the Sunnites, or orthodox Mohammedans.

{ Shi*ka"ree, ||Shi*ka"ri } (?) n. [Hind.] A sportsman; esp., a native hunter. [India]

Shilf (?), n. [CF. G. shilf sedge.] Straw. [Obs.]

Shill (?), v. t. To shell. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Shill, v. t. [Cf. Sheal.] To put under cover; to sheal. [Prov.ng.] Brockett.

{ Shil*la"lah, Shil*le"lah } (?), n. An oaken sapling or cudgel; any cudgel; -- so called from Shillelagh, a place in Ireland of that name famous for its oaks. [Irish] [Written also shillaly, and shillely.]

Shil"ling (?), n. [OE. shilling, schilling, AS. scilling; akin to D. schelling, OS. & OHG. scilling, G. schilling, Sw. & Dan. skilling, Icel. skillingr, Goth. skilliggs, and perh. to OHG. scellan to sound, G. schallen.] 1. A silver coin, and money of account, of Great Britain and its dependencies, equal to twelve pence, or the twentieth part of a pound, equivalent to about twenty-four cents of the United States currency.

2. In the United States, a denomination of money, differing in value in different States. It is not now legally recognized.

Many of the States while colonies had issued bills of credit which had depreciated in different degrees in the different colonies. Thus, in New England currency (used also in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida), after the adoption of the decimal system, the pound in paper money was worth only $3.333, and the shilling 16&?; cts., or 6s. to $1; in New York currency (also in North Carolina, Ohio, and Michigan), the pound was worth $2.50, and the shilling 12½ cts., or 8s. to $1; in Pennsylvania currency (also in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland), the pound was worth $2.70, and the shilling 13½ cts., or 7s. 6d. to $1; and in Georgia currency (also in South Carolina), the pound was worth $4.29&?;, and the shilling 21&?; cts., or 4s 8d. to $1. In many parts of the country . . . the reckoning by shillings and pence is not yet entirely abandoned. Am. Cyc.

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3. The Spanish real, of the value of one eight of a dollar, or 12&?; cets; -- formerly so called in New York and some other States. See Note under 2.

York shilling. Same as Shilling, 3.

{ Shill"-I-shall`-I (?), Shil"ly-shal`ly, } adv. [A reduplication of shall I.] In an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner.

I am somewhat dainty in making a resolution, because when I make it, I keep it; I don't stand shill-I-shall-I then; if I say 't, I'll do 't.

Congreve.

Shil"ly-shal`ly, v. i. To hesitate; to act in an irresolute manner; hence, to occupy one's self with trifles.

Shil"ly-shal`ly, n. Irresolution; hesitation; also, occupation with trifles.

She lost not one of her forty-five minutes in picking and choosing, -- no shilly-shally in Kate.

De Quincey.