shampoo

[ sham-poo ]

verb (used with object)

, sham·pooed, sham·poo·ing.

1. to wash (the head or hair), especially with a cleaning preparation that does not leave a soap film.
2. to clean (rugs, upholstery, or the like) with a special preparation.
3. Archaic. to massage.

noun

1. the act of shampooing.
2. a preparation used for shampooing, especially one that does not leave a soap film.

shampoo

/ ʃæmˈpuː /

noun

1. a liquid or cream preparation of soap or detergent to wash the hair
2. a similar preparation for washing carpets, etc
3. the process of shampooing

verb

1. tr to wash (the hair, etc) with such a preparation

Derived Forms

• shamˈpooer, noun

Other Words From

• sham·pooer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shampoo¹

1755–65; earlier champo to massage < an inflected form of Hindi cāmpnā literally, to press

Word History and Origins

Origin of shampoo¹

C18: from Hindi chāmpo, from chāmpnā to knead

Example Sentences

“They depend on sales on the shop floor of shampoos and shower gels to actually pay for the medicines for the patients and that’s an unacceptable situation.“

From BBC

One of the most crucial things is having a place to put soap and shampoo.

From Seattle Times

Others have found that using dandruff shampoo, especially Selsun Blue with selenium sulfide, can be helpful.

From Seattle Times

“Is it shampoo and conditioner, or just shampoo — what is the hair regimen, Jared?” he said in an interview with the actor Jared Leto.

From New York Times

“And there were three different shampoos on the shelf, which seemed odd considering there were only two different girls using that bathroom. Someone had used a marker to label one of the shampoos ‘C-H-A-R-period.’

From Literature

Related Words

• bathe
• brush
• cleanse
• clear up
• disinfect
• dredge
• dust
• mop
• pick
• pick up
• rinse
• scrape
• scrub
• soak
• spruce up
• sweep
• vacuum
• wash
• wipe