shoal

• 多义词名词：可指沙洲或浅滩，退潮时露出水面；也可指一大群一起游动的鱼。

A noun with multiple meanings: it can refer to a sandbank or area of shallow water that becomes visible at low tide, or to a large group of fish swimming together.

1. SandbankB2formal

   A submerged or partially submerged ridge of sand in a body of water, often becoming visible when the tide is low.

   沙洲

   • The boat ran aground on a hidden shoal near the coast.
   • At low tide, the shoal was clearly visible from the shore.
   • Navigators must be cautious of shifting shoals in the estuary.

   同义词bankbarsandbanksandbarshallowspit

2. Shallow waterB2formal

   An area of water that is not deep, often posing a hazard to navigation.

   浅滩

   • The ship avoided the shoal by following the marked channel.
   • Fishermen know the shoals where the water is too shallow for large vessels.
   • The map indicated several shoals in the northern part of the lake.

   同义词banksandbanksandbarshallowshelf

   反义词abyssdeepdepth

3. Large group of fishB1formal

   A large, densely packed group of fish swimming together, often for protection or migration.

   鱼群

   • A shoal of herring passed beneath the boat.
   • The divers observed a massive shoal of sardines.
   • Predators often target the edges of a shoal for an easy meal.

   同义词aggregationgroupmassschoolswarm

• 动词，用于描述鱼聚集成大群，或水变浅。

A verb used to describe the act of fish gathering together in large groups, or of water becoming shallow.

1. Make shallowC2formal

   To cause a body of water to become shallower, often by depositing sediment or other material.

   使变浅

   • The river was shoaled by the accumulation of silt.
   • Dredging operations prevented the harbor from shoaling further.
   • Over time, the delta shoaled the estuary.

   同义词shallowsiltsilt up

   反义词deependredgeexcavate

2. C2formal

   To become shallower, as a body of water does naturally.

   变浅

   • The water shoals quickly near the sandbar.
   • As we approached the shore, the depth shoaled.
   • The lake shoaled during the drought.

   同义词shallowsilt up

   反义词deepen