Definitions for: Shoal


[n] a large group of fish; "a school of small glittering fish swam by"
[n] a stretch of shallow water
[n] a sandbank in a stretch of water that is visible at low tide
[adj] full of submerged reefs or sandbanks or shoals; "reefy shallows"; "shoaly waters"
[v] become shallow; "the lake shallowed over time"
[v] make shallow; "The silt shallowed the canal"



Webster (1913) Definition: Shoal, n. [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.]
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, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shoaled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Shoaling.]
To assemble in a multitude; to throng; as, the fishes shoaled
about the place. --Chapman.


Shoal, a. [Cf. Shallow; or cf. G. scholle a clod,
glebe, OHG. scollo, scolla, prob. akin to E. shoal a
multitude.]
Having little depth; shallow; as, shoal water.


Shoal, n.
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, v. i.
To become shallow; as, the color of the water shows where it
shoals.


Shoal, v. t.
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.

Synonyms: reefy, school, shallow, shallow, shallow, shelfy, shelvy, shoaly

See Also: alter, animal group, body of water, change, fish, sandbank, water

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