# shift key

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The key on a typewriter used to select uppercase letters and certain special characters by physically moving the mechanism
2. A key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard used to effect the same function, or to change the function of the function keys.

## Etymology
First use appears c. 1883 in the listing of U.S. Patents.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shift-key