n.
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 ]
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;
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;
Beneath, a shoal of silver fishes glides. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i.
a. [ Cf. Shallow; or cf. G. scholle a clod, glebe, OHG. scollo, scolla, prob. akin to E. shoal a multitude. ] Having little depth; shallow;
v. t. To cause to become more shallow; to come to a more shallow part of;
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 ]