skift

Middle English [edit]

Old English sciftan (“To divide, distribute, allot, place, order, arrange”).

skift (plural skifts)

share, portion, lot

There be many knyghtes that hath envy to us; Therefore whan we shall mete at the day of justis there woll be harde skyffte for us. — Malory

fate
effort, attempt, try

Make ye as good skyffte as ye can, ye shall bere this lady with you on horsebak unto the Pope of Rome. — Malory

skift (third-person singular simple present skifteth, present participle skiftinge, simple past and past participle skifted)

To divide, share, distribute, divide up; also, be divided;
To disperse, scatter ~ in sonder,
To give a fair share ~ even,

even skifted, evenly matched in number, in equal strength
To arrange, ordain, cause to occur, rule, manage

Grete godd wolde so wisely skifte all thynges. — The Prose Life of Alexander
To protect, save
To evade, be rid of.

be skifted of, She was aferde of hym..and she cowde not be skyfte … of hym by no meane. — Malory

Conjugation of skift

skift n

Declension of skift

skift n (plural skiften)