Reading Theme:
Shift Work Meaning, Examples & Usage Guide
Meaning 1：shift work (Shift work)
Shift work
/ʃɪft wɜːrk/
n.
Work schedules where different groups of employees work at different times to cover 24 hours.
shift work
➕
/ʃɪft wɜːrk/
n.
A system where employees work in rotating periods to cover continuous operations, typically 24 hours a day.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Shift from Old English 'sciftan' (to divide) + work from Old English 'weorc' (action).
💡 Mnemonic
Picture a lever shifting gears—each gear change represents a different work shift.
📖 Example
My sister works as a nurse, so she's used to shift work, sometimes starting early in the morning and sometimes late at night.
My sister works as a nurse, so she's used to shift work, sometimes starting early in the morning and sometimes late at night.
🔗 Collocations
do shift work – do shift work
adapt to shift work – adapt to shift work
shift work schedule – shift work schedule
🔄 Synonyms
rotating shifts (n.) – Work schedules where employees alternate between different time periods.
staggered hours (n.) – Work times that are offset from the standard 9-to-5 pattern.
🚫 Antonyms
regular 9-to-5 job (n.) – A standard daytime work schedule with fixed hours.
🌱 Derivatives
shift worker (n.) – A person who performs shift work.
shiftwork (n.) – Alternative spelling of shift work.
📖 Cultural Story
Originating during the Industrial Revolution, shift work allowed factories to run 24/7, maximizing production and employing multiple crews in rotations.
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser