SHIFTING

Changing in place, position, or direction; varying; variable; fickle; as, shifting winds; shifting opinions or principles.

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.