shoal
1- a place where a sea, river, or other body of water is shallow.
- a sandbank or sand bar in the bed of a body of water, especially one that is exposed above the surface of the water at low tide.
- of little depth, as water; shallow.
- to become shallow or more shallow.
- to cause to become shallow.
- Nautical. to sail so as to lessen the depth of (the water under a vessel).
Origin of shoal
1Synonyms for shoal
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comshoal
2- any large number of persons or things.
- a school of fish.
- to collect in a shoal; throng.
Origin of shoal
2Examples from the Web for shoal
Historical Examples of shoal
Shoal water, deep water, it seemed all the same to our fortunes.
The ForestStewart Edward White
She waded forward to where the shoal ended and the deeper part began.
The Woman-HatersJoseph C. Lincoln
I'd ruther have 'em high-water than shoal in the middle of the channel.
The Rise of Roscoe PaineJoseph C. Lincoln
I pushed with all my might and, slowly and jerkily, the dingy slid off the shoal.
The Rise of Roscoe PaineJoseph C. Lincoln
We were being driven by the wind away from the shoal, but not fast enough.
The Rise of Roscoe PaineJoseph C. Lincoln
shoal
1- a stretch of shallow water
- a sandbank or rocky area in a stretch of water, esp one that is visible at low water
- to make or become shallow
- (intr) nautical to sail into shallower water
- a less common word for shallow
- nautical (of the draught of a vessel) drawing little water
Word Origin for shoal
shoal
2- a large group of certain aquatic animals, esp fish
- a large group of people or things
- (intr) to collect together in such a group
Word Origin for shoal
Word Origin and History for shoal
"place of shallow water," c.1300, from Old English schealde (adj.), from sceald "shallow," from Proto-Germanic *skala- (cf. Swedish skäll "thin;" Low German schol, Frisian skol "not deep"), of uncertain origin. The terminal -d was dropped 16c.
"large number" (especially of fish), 1570s, apparently identical with Old English scolu "band, troop, crowd of fish" (see school (n.2)); but perhaps rather a 16c. adoption of cognate Middle Dutch schole.
"assemble in a multitude," c.1600, from shoal (n.2). Related: Shoaled; shoaling.
shoal
- A submerged mound or ridge of sediment in a body of shallow water.