makeshift

See also: make-shift, and make shift

English

Alternative forms

• make-shift, make shift

Etymology 1

Deverbal from make shift. First appears c. 1554, in the publications of H. Hilarie.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

makeshift (plural makeshifts)

1. A temporary (usually insubstantial) substitution.
   • 1871, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter XVII, in Middlemarch […], volume I, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book II, page 316:

     And I am not a model clergyman—only a decent makeshift.

   • 1923, Benjamin C. Marsh, “For the Community to Do”, in The World tomorrow, volume 6:

     Hoboism cannot be cured or prevented by makeshifts or by local measures and efforts, although community interest naturally is vital in dealing with a problem that comes home to every community.

Translations

temporary substitution

• Bulgarian: заместител (bg) m (zamestitel)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 權宜之計／权宜之计 (zh) (quányízhījì)

• Czech: provizórium n, dočasná náhrada f
• Dutch: noodoplossing f
• Finnish: hätävara (fi)
• German: Provisorium (de) n, Notlösung (de) f, Notbehelf (de) m
• Irish: ainmniúchas m, siocair f, earra ionaid m
• Italian: ripiego (it) m, improvvisazione (it) f
• Polish: prowizorka (pl) f
• Portuguese: improviso (pt) m
• Russian: вре́менная заме́на f (vrémennaja zaména), вре́менное приспособле́ние n (vrémennoje prisposoblénije)
• Spanish: apaño (es) m, improvisación (es) f

Adjective

makeshift (comparative more makeshift, superlative most makeshift)

1. Made to work or suffice; improvised; substituted.

   They used the ledge and a few branches for a makeshift shelter.

   • 2012 May 26, Phil McNulty, “Norway 0-1 England”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     Hodgson was able to introduce Arsenal teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for his debut late on as this makeshift England line-up closed out a victory that was solid for the most part without ever threatening to be spectacular.

Translations

made to work or suffice

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Catalan: provisional (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 臨時代用的／临时代用的 (línshí dàiyòng de), 湊合的／凑合的 (zh) (còuhe de)

• Czech: provizorní (cs), dočasný (cs) m, improvizovaný (cs) m
• Dutch: provisorisch (nl), voorlopig (nl), geïmproviseerd (nl), nood-, tijdelijk (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: hätävara -, tilapäis-
• French: de fortune (fr)
• German: behelfsmäßig (de), provisorisch (de)
• Haitian Creole: fortin
• Hebrew: please add this translation if you can
• Hindi: कामचलाऊ (hi) (kāmaclāū), चलाऊ (hi) (calāū), जोड़-तोड़ (joṛ-toṛ)
• Hungarian: please add this translation if you can
• Italian: improvvisato (it), di fortuna, provvisorio (it), arraffazzonato
• Japanese: 間に合わせの (ja), 仮の (ja)
• Norwegian: nødløsning, improvisert
• Polish: prowizoryczny (pl) m
• Portuguese: improvisado (pt) m
• Romanian: provizoriu (ro)
• Russian: вре́менный (ru) (vrémennyj), импровизи́рованный (ru) (improvizírovannyj), самоде́льный (ru) (samodélʹnyj) (self-made, not manufactured)
• Scottish Gaelic: sealach
• Spanish: provisional (es)
• Swedish: provisorisk (sv)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can

Etymology 2

1560s. From make +‎ shift.

Noun

makeshift (plural makeshifts)

1. (obsolete) A rogue; a shifty person.
   • 1592, Gabriel Harvey, “The First Letter”, in Four Letters and Certain Sonnets‎^[2], new edition, London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, published 1814, A Due Commendation of the Quipping Author, page 2:

     Greene the coneycatcher, of this dream the author, / For his dainty devise deserveth the halter. / A rakehell, a makeshift, a scribbling fool; / A famous bayard in city and school: / Now sick as a dog, and ever brain-sick, / Where such a raving and desperate Dick?

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:villain

See also

• make shift

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “makeshift”, in Online Etymology Dictionary, retrieved 19 June 2018.