shoal

¹shoal

adjective \ˈshōl\

Definition of SHOAL

: shallow

Examples of SHOAL

1. <shoal waters of the bay meant that our ship had to be moored a considerable distance from shore>

Origin of SHOAL

alteration of Middle English shold, from Old English sceald — more at skeleton

First Known Use: circa 1554

Related to SHOAL

Synonyms

depthless, shallow

Antonyms

deep

Related Words

skin-deep, superficial, surface; fathomable, measurable; finite, limited, measured, restricted; even, flat, flush, horizontal, level, plane, smooth; two-dimensional

Near Antonyms

abysmal, abyssal, bottomless, boundless, endless, immeasurable, inestimable, infinite, limitless, measureless, profound, unfathomable, unlimited, vast; navigable

Other Oceanography Terms

littoral, sound

Rhymes with SHOAL

bole, boll, bowl, coal, cole, Cole, dhole, dole, droll, foal, goal, hole, knoll, kohl, Kohl, mole, ole, pole, poll, prole, role, roll, scroll, Seoul, skoal, sol, sole, soul, stole, stroll, thole, tole, toll, troll, vole, whole

²shoal

noun

Definition of SHOAL

1

: shallow

2

: a sandbank or sandbar that makes the water shallow

First Known Use of SHOAL

1555

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

³shoal

verb

Definition of SHOAL

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

First Known Use of SHOAL

1574

Other Oceanography Terms

littoral, sound

⁴shoal

noun

Definition of SHOAL

: a large group or number : crowd <a shoal of fish>

Origin of SHOAL

Middle English *shole, from Old English scolu multitude — more at school

First Known Use: 1579

⁵shoal

intransitive verb

Definition of SHOAL

: throng, school

First Known Use of SHOAL

1610