shoal Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a sandbank in a stretch of water that is visible at low tide
  2. noun a stretch of shallow water
    shallow.
  3. noun a large group of fish
    school.
    • a school of small glittering fish swam by
  4. verb make shallow
    shallow.
    • The silt shallowed the canal
  5. verb become shallow
    shallow.
    • the lake shallowed over time

WordNet

Shoal noun
Etymology
AS. scolu, sceolu, a company, multitude, crowd, akin to OS. skola; probably originally, a division, and akin to Icel. skilja to part, divide. See Skill, and cf. School. of fishes.
Definitions
  1. A great multitude assembled; a crowd; a throng; -- said especially of fish; as, a shoal of bass. "Great shoals of people." Bacon.
    Beneath, a shoal of silver fishes glides. Waller.
Shoal intransitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Shoaled ; present participle & verbal noun Shoaling
Definitions
  1. To assemble in a multitude; to throng; as, the fishes shoaled about the place. Chapman.
Shoal adjective
Etymology
Cf. Shallow; or cf. G. scholle a clod, glebe, OHG. scollo, scolla, prob. akin to E. shoal a multitude.
Definitions
  1. Having little depth; shallow; as, shoal water.
Shoal noun
Definitions
  1. A place where the water of a sea, lake, river, pond, etc., is shallow; a shallow.
    The depth of your pond should be six feet; and on the sides some shoals for the fish to lay their span. Mortimer.
    Wolsey, that once trod the ways of glory, And sounded all the depths and shoals of honor. Shak.
  2. A sandbank or bar which makes the water shoal.
    The god himself with ready trident stands, And opes the deep, and spreads the moving sands, Then heaves them off the shoals. Dryden.
Shoal intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To become shallow; as, the color of the water shows where it shoals.
Shoal transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To cause to become more shallow; to come to a more shallow part of; as, a ship shoals her water by advancing into that which is less deep. Marryat.

Webster 1913