shift key

noun

The key on a typewriter used to select uppercase letters and certain special characters by physically moving the mechanism

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shift
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Meanings

nounshift key (plural shift keys)

plural shift keys

  1. The key on a typewriter used to select uppercase letters and certain special characters by physically moving the mechanism
  2. computingA key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard used to effect the same function, or to change the function of the function keys.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe key on the typewriter keyboard that shifts from lower-case letters to upper-case letters

Similar
shift
Broader
key
Also see
shift

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

First use appears c. 1883 in the listing of U.S. Patents.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 換檔鍵 /换档键, 移位鍵 /移位键
  • 換檔鍵 /换档键 (huàndàngjiàn)key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
  • 移位鍵 /移位键 (yíwèijiàn)key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Danish skiftenøgle, shift
  • skiftenøglekey on a typewriter
  • shiftkey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
  • shifttastkey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Finnish vaihtonäppäin, vaihtonäppäin
  • vaihtonäppäinkey on a typewriter
  • vaihtonäppäinkey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
  • Shift-näppäinkey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
French touche majuscule
  • touche majusculekey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
German Umschalttaste, Umschalttaste
  • Umschalttastekey on a typewriter
  • Umschalttastekey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Irish eochair iomlaoide
  • eochair iomlaoidekey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Italian tasto maiuscolo
  • tasto maiuscolokey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Japanese シフトキー, シフト
  • シフトキー (shifuto kī)key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
  • シフト (shifuto)key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Korean 시프트 키, 시프트
  • 시프트 키 (sipeuteu ki)key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
  • 시프트 (sipeuteu)key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Romanian tastă shift
  • tastă shiftkey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Russian шифт, кла́виша шифт
  • шифт (šift)key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
  • кла́виша шифт (kláviša šift)key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Spanish tecla de mayúsculas, mayús
  • tecla de mayúsculaskey on a typewriter
  • mayúskey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
  • tecla mayúskey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Swedish omskiftare, skifttangent
  • omskiftarekey on a typewriter
  • skifttangentkey on a typewriter
  • skifttangentkey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Turkish shift tuşu
  • shift tuşukey on a personal computer or terminal keyboard
Cite this entry
APA

shift key. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shift%20key

MLA

“shift key.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shift%20key. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shift key,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shift%20key.

Source: shift key on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.