shoal
1 of 5adjective
ˈshōl 
: shallow
shoal
2 of 5noun (1)
1
: shallow
2
: a sandbank or sandbar that makes the water shallow
shoal
3 of 5verb (1)
shoaled; shoaling; shoals
intransitive verb
: to become shallow
transitive verb
1
: to come to a shallow or less deep part of
2
: to cause to become shallow or less deep
shoal
4 of 5noun (2)
: a large group or number : crowd
a shoal of fish
shoal
5 of 5verb (2)
shoaled; shoaling; shoals
intransitive verb
: throng, school
Synonyms
Adjective
- depthless
- shallow
Noun (1)
- ford
- shallow(s)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
alteration of Middle English shold, from Old English sceald — more at skeleton
Noun (2)
Middle English *shole, from Old English scolu multitude — more at school
First Known Use
Adjective
circa 1554, in the meaning defined above
Noun (1)
1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (1)
1574, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun (2)
1579, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1610, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
shoal 1 of 3
adjective
ˈshōl
shoaler; shoalest
: shallow entry 1 sense 1
shoal water
shoal
2 of 3noun
1
: a place where a sea, lake, or river is shallow
2
: a mound or ridge of sand just below the surface of the water
shoal
3 of 3noun
: school entry 3
a shoal of mackerel
shoal 1 of 2
adjective
as in shallow
lacking significant physical depth shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- shallow
- surface
- depthless
- superficial
- restricted
- horizontal
- plane
- smooth
- level
- finite
- limited
- measurable
- skin-deep
- measured
- flat
- flush
- even
- two-dimensional
- fathomable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- deep
- vast
- infinite
- navigable
- profound
- endless
- boundless
- unlimited
- abyssal
- bottomless
- limitless
- unfathomable
- inestimable
- immeasurable
- measureless
- abysmal
shoal
2 of 2noun
as in bank
a place where a body of water (as a sea or river) is shallow the shoals off Nantucket Island are famous as the final resting places of many ill-fated ships Synonyms & Similar Words
- bank
- ford
- sandbar
- sandbank
- bar
- towhead
- shallow(s)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- trench
- gulf
- abyss
- depth
- deep