gearshift
UK[ˈɡɪəʃɪft]US[ˈɡɪrʃɪft]
n
a lever in a vehicle that is used to change from one gear to another.
Morpheme Breakdown
gear
shift
gear
shift
Etymology
the compound word 'gearshift' is a modern mechanical term formed from two old english and norse roots. 'gear', originally meaning equipment or preparation, evolved to denote the toothed wheels in a transmission system. 'shift', with its core meaning of moving or changing position, perfectly describes the action of selecting different gears. the combination literally means "the apparatus for changing the mechanical gear," a transparent description of its function in an automobile or machine.
Analysis
Structure: gear + shift
gear (from middle english 'gere', meaning equipment or apparatus, of old norse origin) + shift (from old english 'sciftan', meaning to arrange or divide).
Examples
he moved the gearshift into reverse and backed out of the driveway.
the car has a manual transmission with a floor-mounted gearshift.
she gently pushed the gearshift into first gear as the light turned green.