A literal or older-sounding noun for the person who does or performs something. In modern everyday Japanese, する人, 演者, or a more specific word is usually more natural.
He performed the shite role in a Noh play.
In older writing, 仕手 can simply mean 'the person who does it.'
shite; main role in Noh; protagonist
Technical Noh term for the principal actor or leading role, usually written シテ. It contrasts especially with ワキ, the supporting counterpart role.
In this Noh play, the shite appears in the form of an old man.
The exchange between the shite and the waki becomes the center of the story.
stock speculator; market operator
Stock-market term for a speculator, often one thought to be aggressively moving or manipulating a stock. Common in compounds such as 仕手株 and 仕手筋.
Speculators bought up the small-cap stock, and its price soared.
There are rumors that speculators are involved in that stock.
The market operator bought up that stock.
投機家 is a general term for any market speculator, whereas 仕手 specifically implies aggressively moving or manipulating a particular stock.
Main attested kanji form; common especially for the stock-market sense, and also usable for the general and Noh senses.
Katakana form usually used for the Noh role sense.
Rare/search-oriented kanji spelling; it as an occasional spelling for the general 'doer' sense.
The spelling 仕手 is transparently associated with 仕, connected with doing or serving, plus 手, often used for a person involved in an action. The exact historical development is not specified; the Noh form シテ is the same reading written in katakana as a technical role name.