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shoal
shoal1 / shōl/ • n. a large number of fish swimming together: a shoal of bream. Compare with school2 . ∎ inf. a large number of people: a rock star's entrance, first proceeding with his shoal of attendants. • v. [intr.] (of fish) form shoals. shoal2 • n. an area of shallow water, esp. as a navigational hazard. ∎ a submerged sandbank visible at low water. ∎ (usu. shoals) fig. a hidden danger or difficulty: he alone could safely guide them through Hollywood's treacherous shoals. • v. [intr.] (of water) become shallower. • adj. (of water) shallow. DERIVATIVES: shoal·y adj. |
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"shoal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shoal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-shoal.html "shoal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-shoal.html |
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Shoal
Shoala great number; a crowd; a throng: especially of fish. Examples : shoal of bass; of boats, 1839; of crows, 1759; of eagles, 1801; of fish, 1579; of frogs, 1692; of goslings, 1584; of herrings, 1774; of martyrs, 1610; of minnows; of miracles, 1639; of novelties, 1900; of injured people, 1901; of perch; of pilchards; of quails, 1659; of seals, 1835; of shepherds, 1579; of sticklebacks; of texts, 1688; of troubles; of whales, 1836; of small troubles, 1858; shoals of actors and actresses, 1749; of letters; of people, 1881; of Scotsmen, 1791. |
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"Shoal." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Shoal." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505301384.html "Shoal." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505301384.html |
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shoal
shoal.
1. A derivative of the word ‘shallow’, indicating a patch of water in the sea with a depth less than that of the surrounding water. They are the results of banks of sand, mud, or rock on the seabed, and are usually marked, in coastal waters, by navigation marks such as buoys. 2. A large number of fish which swim together. |
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"shoal." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shoal." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-shoal.html "shoal." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-shoal.html |
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shoal
shoal1 shallow. XVI. alt. of late ME. scho(o)ld, Sc. schald (XIV), repr. OE. sċ(e)ald (only in local names) :- *skaldaz, rel. to SHALLOW.
Hence shoal sb. shallow place, sandbank XVI; succeeding to late ME. schald, sholde, earlier shelde. |
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T. F. HOAD. "shoal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "shoal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-shoal.html T. F. HOAD. "shoal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-shoal.html |
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shoal
shoal n.
1. an area of shallow water, especially as a navigational hazard. 2. a submerged sandbank visible at low water. v. (of water) become shallower. adj. (of water) shallow. |
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"shoal." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shoal." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-shoal.html "shoal." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-shoal.html |
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shoal
shoal A mound or other structure raised above the sea bed in shallow water that is composed of, or covered by, unconsolidated material and may be exposed at low water.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "shoal." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "shoal." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-shoal.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "shoal." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-shoal.html |
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shoal
shoal2 large number of fish, etc., swimming together. late XVI. prob. — MLG., MDu. schōle (adopted earlier as SCHOOL2).
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "shoal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "shoal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-shoal1.html T. F. HOAD. "shoal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-shoal1.html |
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shoal
shoal
•barcarole, bole, bowl, cajole, coal, Cole, condole, console, control, dhole, dole, droll, enrol (US enroll), extol, foal, goal, hole, Joel, knoll, kohl, mol, mole, Nicole, parol, parole, patrol, pole, poll, prole, rôle, roll, scroll, Seoul, shoal, skoal, sole, soul, stole, stroll, thole, Tirol, toad-in-the-hole, toll, troll, vole, whole
•Creole
•carriole, dariole
•cabriole • capriole
•aureole, gloriole, oriole
•wassail-bowl • fishbowl • dustbowl
•punchbowl • rocambole • farandole
•girandole • manhole • rathole
•armhole • arsehole • hellhole
•keyhole, kneehole
•peephole
•sinkhole • pinhole • cubbyhole
•hidey-hole • pigeonhole
•eyehole, spyhole
•foxhole
•knothole, pothole
•borehole, Warhol
•porthole • soundhole • blowhole
•stokehole • bolthole • loophole
•lughole, plughole
•chuckhole • buttonhole • bunghole
•earhole • waterhole • wormhole
•charcoal • caracole • Seminole
•pinole
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Cite this article
"shoal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shoal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-shoal.html "shoal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-shoal.html |
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