makeshiftmake‧shift /ˈmeɪkʃɪft/ adjective 
Word Origin
The refugees slept in makeshift tents at the side of the road.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINmakeshift
ExamplesOrigin:
1500-1600 make shift ‘to make efforts, try all methods, manage to do something’ (15-19 centuries)EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- They rigged up the canvas boat-cover as a makeshift sail.
- Thousands have tried to flee in makeshift boats.
- Using an old tree-trunk as a makeshift table, we ate our picnic.
- When we reached the river we found that the makeshift bridge had been swept away.
- A makeshift chapel is partitioned off in the corner of the lowest security dorm.
- Ell looked with horror at the makeshift glider.
- More remarkable was the way a makeshift pack, with only one Lions Test player and three other tourists, shaped up.
- Ro snakes his slender body from under the makeshift table.
- She adjusts her hat, a round bush hat, and walks towards the makeshift landing strip.
- Sweating profusely, soaking through his robe, Havens raises his ax in triumph and walks off the makeshift stage.
- There are also clusters of old men sitting around makeshift tables made of old boards and doors, playing cards and dominoes.
- What we're doing is a makeshift operation.
Longman Language Activatorto make something quickly using whatever materials you have► knock off/knock up
made to be used for a short time only when nothing better is available: informal to make something quickly and without using much effort: knock off/up something: · She was always good on the sewing machine. She could knock off an outfit in two hours.knock somebody up something British: · I could knock you up a couple of poached eggs.
► throw together to make something quickly and not very carefully, especially because you are in a hurry: throw together something: · Sheryl had thrown together his costume somewhat haphazardly.throw something together: · We had 15 minutes to throw lunch together, eat, and get changed.
► rig up to quickly make something such as a piece of equipment that you only need for a short time, using various materials that you have available: rig up something: · You don't have blinds or curtains so you'll need to rig up something to shut out the sunlight.rig something up: · Can you rig a gate up to stop the dog getting into my room?· There's a shower rigged up at the back of the cabin.
► cobble together to quickly and roughly make something by hand, using a few simple materials: cobble together something: · She cobbled together a tent from a few pieces of string and a sheet.cobble something together into something: · We were always searching for bits of junk we could cobble together into something artistic.
► run up British to quickly make a piece of clothing or some curtains, especially using a sewing machine: · There's a woman at the end of our street who will run up some curtains for me.· "I like your dress." "Oh, thank you. It's just something I ran up last night."
► improvise to make something using whatever you have available, when you do not have the correct materials: · They had improvised an alarm, using string and empty cans.improvise something out of something: · I improvised a sling for his arm out of a strip of cloth.
► makeshift made using any materials or objects that are available at the time in order to be used only for a short time: · Using an old tree-trunk as a makeshift table, we ate our picnic.· When we reached the river we found that the makeshift bridge had been swept away.· They rigged up the canvas boat-cover as a makeshift sail.
The refugees slept in makeshift tents at the side of the road.