1. n. & v.
--n.
1. a great number of fish swimming together (cf. SCHOOL(2)).
2 a multitude; a crowd (shoals of letters).
--v.intr. (of fish) form shoals.
Etymology: prob. re-adoption of MDu. schole SCHOOL(2) 2. n., v., & adj.
--n.
1. a an area of shallow water. b a submerged sandbank visible at low water.
2 (esp. in pl.) hidden danger or difficulty.
--v.
1. intr. (of water) get shallower.
2 tr. (of a ship etc.) move into a shallower part of (water).
--adj. archaic (of water) shallow.
Derivatives:
shoaly adj.
Etymology: OE sceald f. Gmc, rel. to SHALLOW