n. [ AS. scolu, sceolu, a company, multitude, crowd, akin to OS. skola; probably originally, a division, and akin to Icel. skilja to part, divide. See Skill, and cf. School. of fishes. ] A great multitude assembled; a crowd; a throng; -- said especially of fish; as, a shoal of bass. “Great shoals of people.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beneath, a shoal of silver fishes glides. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Shoaled p. pr. & vb. n. Shoaling. ] To assemble in a multitude; to throng; as, the fishes shoaled about the place. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. Shallow; or cf. G. scholle a clod, glebe, OHG. scollo, scolla, prob. akin to E. shoal a multitude. ] Having little depth; shallow; as, shoal water. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A place where the water of a sea, lake, river, pond, etc., is shallow; a shallow. [ 1913 Webster ]

The depth of your pond should be six feet; and on the sides some shoals for the fish to lay their span. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wolsey, that once trod the ways of glory,
And sounded all the depths and shoals of honor. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sandbank or bar which makes the water shoal. [ 1913 Webster ]

The god himself with ready trident stands,
And opes the deep, and spreads the moving sands,
Then heaves them off the shoals. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become shallow; as, the color of the water shows where it shoals. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cause to become more shallow; to come to a more shallow part of; as, a ship shoals her water by advancing into that which is less deep. Marryat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being shoaly; little depth of water; shallowness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Becoming shallow gradually. “A shoaling estuary.” Lyell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of shoals, or shallow places. [ 1913 Webster ]

The tossing vessel sailed on shoaly ground. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]