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Shoal vs Spit - What's the difference?

shoal | spit | Related terms |

As nouns the difference between shoal and spit

is that shoal is a sandbank or sandbar creating a shallow while spit is a rod on which meat is grilled (UK English) or broiled (US English).

As verbs the difference between shoal and spit

is that shoal is to arrive at a shallow (or less deep) area while spit is to impale on a spit.

As an adjective shoal

is shallow.

shoal

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) schold, scholde, from (etyl) . Compare (shallow).

Alternative forms

* (l) (dialectal) * (l), (l), (l), (l), (l), (l) (Scotland) * (l), (l), (l)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Shallow.
    • shoal water
  • * 1819 , Lord Byron, Don Juan , III.19:
    • But that part of the coast being shoal and bare, / And rough with reefs which ran out many a mile, / His port lay on the other side o' the isle.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sandbank or sandbar creating a shallow.
  • *
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage='Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.}}
  • * Dryden
    • The god himself with ready trident stands, / And opes the deep, and spreads the moving sands, / Then heaves them off the shoals .
  • A shallow in a body of water.
  • * Mortimer
    • The depth of your pond should be six feet; and on the sides some shoals for the fish to lay their spawn.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Wolsey, that once trod the ways of glory, / And sounded all the depths and shoals of honour.
    Synonyms
    * (sandbank) sandbar, sandbank

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To arrive at a shallow (or less deep) area.
  • To cause a shallowing; to come to a more shallow part of.
    • A ship shoals her water by advancing into that which is less deep. — Marryat.
  • To become shallow.
    • The colour of the water shows where it shoals .

    Etymology 2

    1570, presumably from (etyl) *.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any large number of persons or things.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • great shoals of people
  • A large number of fish (or other sea creatures) of the same species swimming together.
  • * Waller
    • Beneath, a shoal of silver fishes glides.
    Synonyms
    * (fish) school

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To collect in a shoal; to throng.
    • The fish shoaled about the place.

    Anagrams

    * * * English collective nouns

    spit

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) spitu , from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A rod on which meat is grilled (UK English) or broiled (US English).
  • A narrow, pointed, usually sandy peninsula.
  • * 1881 , :
    • Or perhaps he may see a group of washerwomen relieved, on a spit of shingle, against the blue sea [..]
  • The depth to which a spade goes in digging; a spade; a spadeful.
    • (Halliwell)

    Verb

    (spitt)
  • To impale on a spit.
    • to spit a loin of veal
  • * Shakespeare
    • infants spitted upon pikes
  • To attend to a spit; to use a spit.
    • She's spitting in the kitchen.
  • To spade; to dig.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) spittan, from (etyl) (compare Danish spytte, Swedish spotta), from (etyl) Ayto, John, Dictionary of Word Origins , Arcade Publishing, New York, 1990, of imitiative origin (see spew) spew], [[w:Online Etymology Dictionary, Online Etymology Dictionary], Douglas Harper

    Verb

  • (transitive) To evacuate (saliva or another substance) from the mouth.
    • Don't spit on the street.
    The teacher told her to spit out her bubble gum.
  • * 1994 , (Stephen Fry), (The Hippopotamus) Chapter 2
    • At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.
  • To rain or snow slightly, or with sprinkles.
  • * Charles Dickens
    • It had been spitting with rain.
  • To utter violently.
  • * 1915 , , Shadows of Flames , page 240 [http://books.google.com/books?id=-9AcAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA240&dq=spat]:
    • "Why, you little emasculated Don Juan— You—" he spat an unmentionable name— "d'you think I'd fight one of your tin-soldier farces with you? Clear out!"
  • * 2004 , edition, ISBN 0743483790, chapter 3, page 23 [http://books.google.com/books?id=d9F9MUiOQD4C&pg=PA23&dq=spat]:
    • "Gentleman? You?" he spat .
  • (transitive, slang, hip-hop) To utter.
  • * 2005 , Giselle Zado Wasfie, So Fly
    • A group of black guys were spitting rhymes in the corner, slapping hands and egging one another on.
    Usage notes
    * Spit'' as the past form is common only in the US, while ''spat is common everywhere.
    Synonyms
    * expectorate
    Derived terms
    * spit it out * spit nails * spitting chips * spitting distance

    Noun

  • (uncountable) Saliva]], especially when [[expectorate, expectorated.
    • There was spit all over the washbasin.
  • (countable) An instance of spitting.
    • Synonyms
    * expectoration, saliva
    Derived terms
    * spitball * spit-cup * spitshine * spittoon * spit wad

    Anagrams

    * * *

    References

    English terms with multiple etymologies