"shiftiness" meaning in English

See shiftiness in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: shiftinesses [plural]
Etymology: Etymology tree English shifty Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English shiftiness From shifty + -ness. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|shifty|-ness|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree English shifty Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English shiftiness [Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-atjaną", "lang" : "gem-pro" }, { "id" : "nominative", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "action noun", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-tus", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-þuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-assuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-inassuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*-nassī", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "-nes", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-nesse", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-ness", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "shiftiness", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="shiftiness"> From shifty + -ness. Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} shiftiness (countable and uncountable, plural shiftinesses)
  1. (uncountable) The property of being shifty. Tags: uncountable Translations (the property of being shifty): lhoobaght [feminine] (Manx)
    Sense id: en-shiftiness-en-noun-PfKKvtrB Disambiguation of 'the property of being shifty': 86 14
  2. (countable, rare) The result or product of being shifty. Tags: countable, rare
    Sense id: en-shiftiness-en-noun-5u0-m46j Categories (other): English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymology trees, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ness, Entries with translation boxes, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Pages with etymology trees, Terms with Manx translations Disambiguation of English entries with etymology texts: 23 77 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology trees: 23 77 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 21 79 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ness: 18 82 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 7 93 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 11 89 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 11 89 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 94 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 9 91 Disambiguation of Terms with Manx translations: 16 84

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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        "3": "shifty",
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish shifty\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish shiftiness\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-atjaną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"nominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"action noun\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tus\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-þuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-assuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inassuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-nassī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-nes\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-nesse\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"shiftiness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"shiftiness\">\nFrom shifty + -ness.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish shifty\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish shiftiness\nFrom shifty + -ness.",
  "forms": [
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      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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              72,
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          "ref": "1973, Socialist Review, volume 8, page 331:",
          "text": "Mr. Henderson's chief trouble seems to be that he cannot forget his old shiftiness of views and his pendulum-like swingings between Liberalism and Independent Labourism[…]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The property of being shifty."
      ],
      "id": "en-shiftiness-en-noun-PfKKvtrB",
      "links": [
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          "shifty"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncountable) The property of being shifty."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "86 14",
          "code": "gv",
          "lang": "Manx",
          "lang_code": "gv",
          "sense": "the property of being shifty",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "lhoobaght"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
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          "_dis": "23 77",
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          "ref": "1918, Allan Noble Monkhouse, Men and Ghosts, page 73:",
          "text": "I had the grace or humility sometimes to see myself as a mass of shiftinesses; a few dogmas might help to steady me.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The result or product of being shifty."
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      "id": "en-shiftiness-en-noun-5u0-m46j",
      "links": [
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          "shifty",
          "shifty"
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(countable, rare) The result or product of being shifty."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "shiftiness"
}
{
  "categories": [
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    "English entries with etymology texts",
    "English entries with etymology trees",
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish shifty\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish shiftiness\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-atjaną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"nominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"action noun\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tus\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-þuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-assuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inassuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-nassī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-nes\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-nesse\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"shiftiness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"shiftiness\">\nFrom shifty + -ness.",
      "name": "ety"
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  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish shifty\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish shiftiness\nFrom shifty + -ness.",
  "forms": [
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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        "English uncountable nouns",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
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          "ref": "1973, Socialist Review, volume 8, page 331:",
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          "type": "quotation"
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      "glosses": [
        "The property of being shifty."
      ],
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        "(uncountable) The property of being shifty."
      ],
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        }
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      "glosses": [
        "The result or product of being shifty."
      ],
      "links": [
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        "(countable, rare) The result or product of being shifty."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "rare"
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "gv",
      "lang": "Manx",
      "lang_code": "gv",
      "sense": "the property of being shifty",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "lhoobaght"
    }
  ],
  "word": "shiftiness"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-06-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-06-01 using wiktextract (ade7ec3 and 7f4db16). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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