shampoo

verb sham·poo \ sham-ˈpü \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: shampoo in a Sentence

Definition of shampoo

shampooed; shampooing; shampoos

transitive verb

1 archaic : massage

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

b : to wash the hair of

—

shampooer

noun

See shampoo defined for English-language learners

See shampoo defined for kids

Examples of shampoo in a Sentence

She shampoos her hair every morning.
We need to shampoo the rug.

Recent Examples of shampoo from the Web

Just smooth it over clean, damp hair for 10 minutes once a week, then rinse out and shampoo and condition as usual.

— alex warner, Marie Claire, "Drew Barrymore Swears This $28 Hair Product Fixed Her Damaged, Dyed Hair," 24 May 2018
Not shampooing your hair every day may lessen the amount of skin rashes, or a therapeutic oil cream can also do wonders.

— mona gohara, Good Housekeeping, "7 Common Scalp Issues — And How to Treat Them," 13 Mar. 2018
And for those who shampoo in the morning, that means sacrificing precious sleep time to blow-dry.

— zoë weiner, Teen Vogue, "6 Ways to Blow-Dry Your Hair Faster," 12 Mar. 2018
Clients should only be shampooing once or twice a week.

— rebecca norris, Allure, "Berry Sorbet Hair Is a Bolder Take on Pink," 12 Mar. 2018
Leave it in for about ten minutes after shampooing.

— emily barth isler, Allure, "13 Amazing Hair-Care Products From Natural Beauty Brands," 10 Jan. 2018
Those seats will all be cleaned and shampooed soon.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "NASA removes a piece of historic Mission Control as restoration efforts ramp up," 25 Jan. 2018
And most people cut down on shampooing due to the cold temperatures, which can also make flakes worse.

— jessica cruel, SELF, "What Causes Dandruff? The Truth Behind 9 Common Dandruff Myths," 14 Sep. 2017
Unfortunately, Revelist reports that the glitter is only temporary and will likely fade after shampooing and brushing your glowing locks.

— lauren rearick, Teen Vogue, "Glitter Highlights Take Over Social Media," 26 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shampoo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of shampoo

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1762

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Fashion Terms

bodkin, chignon, cowlick, eau de toilette, imperial, pocket, pomander, tonsorial

shampoo

noun

Definition of shampoo

plural shampoos

1 : an act or instance of shampooing

2 : a preparation used in shampooing

See shampoo defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of shampoo from the Web

Like shampoo, laundry detergent removes all of that dirt and grime to seriously clean.

— danielle tullo, House Beautiful, "PSA: This Is the Real Difference Between Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener," 4 June 2018
For the easiest bouncy volume, use dry shampoo (from roots to ends) before bed, and sleep with your hair in a bun for lasting volume the next day.

— Allure, "The 25 Best Hair Tips That Pro Stylists Have Ever Told Us," 15 May 2018
The remaining percentage goes to the salon for overhead costs like utilities, product used (color, shampoo, conditioner, etc.), and amenities for both staff and clients.

— megan mcintyre, Glamour, "What No One Tells You About Tipping at the Hair Salon," 22 May 2018
Seaweed is in everything from ice cream to shampoo.

— karen j. coates, The Christian Science Monitor, "Warming waters hurt Zanzibar's seaweed. But women farmers have a plan.," 21 May 2018
Keep things orderly with this Dopp kit, which has compartments for a toothbrush, shampoo, and contact lenses.

— Outside Online, "The Best Men’s Travel Kit of 2018," 15 May 2018
Media: Texan Live The two students set a goal of collecting 300 items including body wash, face soap, mouth rinse, q-tips, shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, candy and snacks.

— karen zurawski, Houston Chronicle, "Cinco Ranch students serve community, learn leadership skills," 12 May 2018
On Saturday, Durrant and the others at the baby shower received multiple gift bags with everything from diapers to Burt Bee’s shampoo.

— catherine rentz, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore VA hospital hosts baby shower for veterans who are expectant or new mothers," 5 May 2018
Those little hotel bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash—icons of travel—are disappearing, replaced by bulk dispensers mounted on shower walls.

— gerard baker, WSJ, "The 10-Point.," 2 May 2018

First Known Use of shampoo

1838

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Fashion Terms

bodkin, chignon, cowlick, eau de toilette, imperial, pocket, pomander, tonsorial

SHAMPOO Defined for English Language Learners

shampoo

verb

Definition of shampoo for English Language Learners

: to clean (something, such as hair, a carpet, etc.) with shampoo

shampoo

noun

Definition of shampoo for English Language Learners

: a special liquid that is used for cleaning your hair
: a special liquid used for cleaning rugs, carpets, etc.
: an act of cleaning hair, a carpet, etc., with shampoo

SHAMPOO Defined for Kids

shampoo

noun sham·poo \ sham-ˈpü \

Definition of shampoo for Students

plural shampoos

1 : a cleaner made for washing the hair

2 : an act of washing the hair

History for shampoo

Vigorous hair-washing was not something people engaged in too frequently 150 or so years ago, at least in America and Britain, so it is not too surprising that the word shampoo in its current meaning is only about that old. The earlier meaning of shampoo was “massage.” The word (as well as the practice of massaging) became familiar to English people when they traveled to India in the 1600s and 1700s. Shampoo is probably borrowed from a word in Hindi, a major language of India: cāmpō, the command form of cāmpnā, “to press, squeeze.”