shoal

¹ American  

[shohl] / ʃoʊl /

noun

1. a place where a sea, river, or other body of water is shallow.

   The clams and mussels gathered from these shoals are the best you’ll ever find.

   Synonyms:

   ford, shallow(s)

2. a sandbank or sandbar in the bed of a body of water, especially one that is exposed above the surface of the water at low tide.

   Synonyms:

   reef

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adjective

1. of little depth, as water; shallow.

   The first thing these newcomers do is buy a boat and promptly get stuck in the shoal waters, which they know nothing about.

verb (used without object)

1. to become shallow or more shallow.

   The river significantly shoals between the old stone bridge and the bend at Tuttle’s Crossing.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to become shallow.

   Shoaling the approach has effectively kept the larger vessels out of our small harbor.

2. Nautical. to sail so as to lessen the depth of (the water under a vessel).

shoal ² American  

[shohl] / ʃoʊl /

noun

1. any large number of persons or things.

2. a school of fish.

   a shoal of herring;

   a shoal of mackerel.

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verb (used without object)

1. to collect in a shoal; throng.

shoal ¹ British  

/ ʃəʊl /

noun

1. a large group of certain aquatic animals, esp fish

2. a large group of people or things

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verb

1. (intr) to collect together in such a group

shoal ² British  

/ ʃəʊl /

noun

1. a stretch of shallow water

2. a sandbank or rocky area in a stretch of water, esp one that is visible at low water

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verb

1. to make or become shallow

2. (intr) nautical to sail into shallower water

adjective

1. a less common word for shallow

2. nautical (of the draught of a vessel) drawing little water

shoal Scientific  

/ shōl /

1. A submerged mound or ridge of sediment in a body of shallow water.

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Other Word Forms

• shoaliness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of shoal¹

First recorded before 900; (for the adjective) Middle English shold(e), Old English sceald shallow; noun and verb derivative of the adjective

Origin of shoal²

First recorded in 1570–80; earlier shole, probably from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German schōle, with sound-substitution of sh- for Low German skh-; cf. school ²

Explanation

The noun shoal can be used to refer to a group of fish or an area of shallow water. So when you’re navigating a shoal in your row boat, you might look down and see a shoal of fish swimming out of the way. If you like to fish, you might know that shoal can refer to shallow water, but it can also describe a sandbank that you can only see when the water is low. Both kinds of shoals are problems if you’re trying to navigate in a boat — you have to try not to run aground when you encounter either one. The word also has a verb form that describes water that gets shallow: it shoals.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shoal

The remarks came a day after the envoy slammed China's "dangerous conduct" following a clash between Philippine and Chinese sailors at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Authorities in the Philippines, which also claims the shoal, then released more detailed photos that showed a rickety-looking platform floating at the shoal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

He said military personnel had spotted another Chinese sampan crew poisoning waters near the shoal last month, and that samples later tested positive for cyanide.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026

The shoal, which is less than 200 nautical miles from the Philippine coastline, is home to a crumbling warship, the Sierra Madre.

From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2024

Suddenly, a shoal of fish flew out of the water toward them.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Related Words

• reef