shiftableadj.
/ˈʃɪftəbl/, U.S. /ˈʃɪftəb(ə)l/ 1. Capable of being shifted, removable.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > placing or fact of being placed in (a) position > [adjective] > in a different position > able to be
shiftable1742
relocatable1872
1742 Bailey (ed. 10) , cites Shaks. [erroneously].
1903 J. C. Smith in R. Wallace: Life & Last Leaves 121 To him Gladstone's ‘well of truth’ seemed to have many shiftable bottoms.
2. Able to shift for himself.
ΚΠ
1832 Let. 17 Apr. in J. Constable's Corr. (1962) I. 269 Abram would have accompanied her on Monday, but as business required his going this day, we thought it quite unnecessary to alter his plans for so shiftable a young lady.
1861 W. B. Brooke Out with Garibaldi xvi. 292 The old soldiers..smoking their pipes quietly, or..helping their less shiftable comrades.
Derivatives
shiftaˈbility n. the ability to be shifted.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > placing or fact of being placed in (a) position > [noun] > placing or being placed in different position > ability to be
shiftability1951
1951 Banco Nazionale del Lavoro Q. Rev. July–Sept. 135/2 In the last few decades the theory of ‘self-liquidation’ has been gradually set aside and replaced by the ‘shiftability theory’.
1972 Linguistic Inquiry III. 377 (heading) On the shiftability of past participles.
1976 Language 52 39 The shiftability of the NP has nothing to do with whether the containing prepositional phrase has or has not originated in a relative clause.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1742