shampoo

1 of 2

noun

sham·​poo sham-ˈpü 

plural shampoos

1

: a preparation used in shampooing

2

: an act or instance of shampooing

shampoo

2 of 2

verb

shampooed; shampooing; shampoos

transitive verb

1

a

: to wash (something, such as hair) with soap and water or with a special preparation

b

: to wash the hair of

2

archaic : massage

shampooer noun

Examples of shampoo in a Sentence

Verb

She shampoos her hair every morning.

We need to shampoo the rug.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The al Qaeda members planned to bring the explosives onboard in common items like toothpaste tubes or shampoo bottles and detonators hidden in MP3 players or phones. — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Full-sized bottles of shampoo and cans of shaving cream didn’t get tossed for exceeding liquid limits. — Rio Yamat, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Verb

Make Lifestyle Changes Reavey recommends creating healthy blood flow to the scalp by shampooing regularly, followed by frequent scalp treatments and head massages. — Carly Cardellino Vaccaro, InStyle, 5 Sep. 2026

How to Use a Color Depositing Hair Mask After shampooing, gently pat dry your hair with a towel or T-shirt and then spread the mask evenly over the lengths and ends. — Giulia Lenzi, Vogue, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Hindi & Urdu cā̃po, imperative of cā̃pnā to press, massage

First Known Use

Noun

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1762, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for shampoo

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

shampoo

1 of 2 verb

sham·​poo sham-ˈpü 

: to wash (as the hair) with soap and water or with a special preparation

shampooer noun

shampoo

2 of 2 noun

1

: an act or instance of shampooing

2

: a cleaner used in shampooing