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.
Hastily he schifte him[self].
Piers Plowman.
Pare saffron between the two St. Mary's days, Or set or go shift it
that knowest the ways.
Tusser.
3. To change the position of; to alter the bearings of; to turn; as, to
shift the helm or sails.
Carrying the oar loose, [they] shift it hither and thither at
pleasure.
Sir W. Raleigh.
4. 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.