WordGarden.ioshoal
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ʃˈəʊl/
US
- /ʃˈoʊl/
Meanings
Noun
a large group of fish swimming together
a shallow submerged area or sandbank in a body of water
Beyond the definition
Imagine sailing along and suddenly the water becomes much shallower. You may be near a shoal. A shoal is a shallow area of water, often made of sand or rocks, and it can be dangerous for boats. The word is also used for a group of fish swimming together, as in "a shoal of herring." In older or literary English, it can also mean a large number of people or things. So when you hear "shoal," think of shallow water first, but sometimes fish or a packed group.
The word "shoal" moves through English with a strong connection to the sea. Most often, it refers to a shallow area of water, sometimes a sandbank or rocky stretch, where the depth drops enough to create a danger for boats and ships. Sailors do not want to run aground on a shoal, because what looks like open water may suddenly become too shallow to pass safely.
The word also refers to a group of fish swimming together. You might read about a shoal of sardines or herring moving in the same direction through the water. In everyday English, people often say "school of fish," but "shoal" is also a standard and well-known choice, especially in natural description and general writing.
There is also a broader and less common meaning: a shoal can mean a large number of people or things gathered together. This sense now feels older or more literary than the water-related meanings, but you may still come across it in descriptive writing.
So the word carries two main ideas: shallow water and fish moving together, with an older extra sense of a large number. Whether you meet it on a nautical chart, in a nature book, or in a more literary passage, it suggests either a risky shallow stretch or a gathered mass moving as one.
Examples
- 1
Fish group
We watched a shoal of small fish move through the clear water.
- 2
Shallow water
The boat ran onto a shoal near the mouth of the river.
- 3
Navigation hazard
Old charts show dangerous shoals all along this stretch of coast.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- solitary fish
Do not confuse
- shoal (shallow water)
Used with (collocations)
- a shoal of fish
- large shoal
- dense shoal
Word family
- shoaling
Explore
- schooling behavior
- collective noun
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- shoalnounverb
Forms
- shoalspluralnounverb