Temporary or improvised, made quickly with whatever materials are available when you need something immediately.
From 'make' + 'shift' (an old word meaning 'expedient' or 'get by'). 'Shift' originally meant a change or turn. The compound literally means 'made to get by temporarily' or 'made to shift with.'
Makeshift is a beautiful compound word showing how English creates new terms by combining old ones—it tells a story: you make something to shift (get by) with it temporarily. Medieval people used the same idea with 'make do' and 'make shift.'
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