<p><strong>noun</strong></p><ul><li>a place where a sea, river, or other body of water is shallow: The clams and mussels gathered from these shoals are the best you’ll ever find.</li><li>a sandbank or sandbar in the bed of a body of water, especially one that is exposed above the surface of the water at low tide.</li></ul><p><strong>adjective</strong></p><ul><li>of little depth, as water; shallow: The first thing these newcomers do is buy a boat and promptly get stuck in the shoal waters, which they know nothing about.</li></ul><p><strong>verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used without object) to become shallow or more shallow: The river significantly shoals between the old stone bridge and the bend at Tuttle’s Crossing.</li><li>(used with object) to cause to become shallow: Shoaling the approach has effectively kept the larger vessels out of our small harbor.</li><li>Nautical. to sail so as to lessen the depth of (the water under a vessel).</li></ul>