shoal
noun
[ ʃəʊl ]
• a large number of fish swimming together.
• "a shoal of bream"
shoal
verb
• (of fish) form shoals.
• "these fish can safely be released to shoal with most adult species"
Origin:
late 16th century: probably from Middle Dutch schōle ‘troop’. Compare with school2.
shoal
noun
• an area of shallow water.
• "we clawed our way out from the Bahamian shoals into the deep waters of the Atlantic"
shoal
verb
• (of water) become shallower.
• "the water shoals reasonably gently, and the swimming is safe"
shoal
adjective
• (of water) shallow.
• "crabs will move to shoaler water when the current changes"
Origin:
Old English sceald (adjective), of Germanic origin; related to shallow.
