shoal

shoal
shoal1
/shohl/, n.
1. a place where a sea, river, or other body of water is shallow.
2. a sandbank or sand bar in the bed of a body of water, esp. one that is exposed above the surface of the water at low tide.
adj.
3. of little depth, as water; shallow.
v.i.
4. to become shallow or more shallow.
v.t.
5. to cause to become shallow.
6. Naut. to sail so as to lessen the depth of (the water under a vessel).
[bef. 900; (adj.) ME (Scots) shald, OE sceald SHALLOW; (n. and v.) deriv. of the adj.]
Syn. 1. shallow, rapid, riffle. 2. reef.
shoal2
/shohl/, n.
1. any large number of persons or things.
2. a school of fish.
v.i.
3. to collect in a shoal; throng.
[1570-80; earlier shole, prob. < MD, MLG schole, with sound-substitution of sh- for LG skh-; cf. SCHOOL2]

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      accumulation of sediment in a river channel or on a continental shelf that is potentially dangerous to ships. On the continental shelf it is conventionally taken to be less than 10 m (33 feet) below water level at low tide. Shoals are formed by essentially the same factors that produce offshore bars. See sandbar.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Shoal — 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;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shoal — 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. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shoal — [ʃəul US ʃoul] n [Sense: 1; Origin: Old English scolu large group ] [Sense: 2; Date: 1300 1400; Origin: shoal not deep (11 20 centuries), from Old English sceald] 1.) a large group of fish swimming together = ↑school shoal of …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • shoal — n Shoal, bank, reef, bar can all mean a shallow place in a body of water. In ordinary use Shoal is applied to a shallow place, especially one that is difficult to navigate {dangerous shoals in uncharted waters} Bank, often as the plural banks, is …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Shoal — Shoal, n. 1. A place where the water of a sea, lake, river, pond, etc., is shallow; a shallow. [1913 Webster] The depth of your pond should be six feet; and on the sides some shoals for the fish to lay their span. Mortimer. [1913 Webster] Wolsey …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shoal — shoal; shoal·i·ness; shoal·ness; …   English syllables

  • shoal — shoal1 [shōl] n. [via dial. < OE scolu, multitude, school of fish, akin to Du school < IE * skēl < base * (s)kel , to cut > SHIELD] 1. a large group; mass; crowd 2. a large school of fish vi. to come together in or move about as a… …   English World dictionary

  • Shoal — 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. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shoal — Shoal, v. i. To become shallow; as, the color of the water shows where it shoals. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shoal — 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. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shoal — Ⅰ. shoal [1] ► NOUN 1) a large number of fish swimming together. 2) informal, chiefly Brit. a large number of people. ► VERB ▪ (of fish) form shoals. ORIGIN probably from Dutch sch le troop …   English terms dictionary

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