shampoo

1 of 2

verb

sham·​poo sham-ˈpü 

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

shampoo

2 of 2

noun

plural shampoos

1

: an act or instance of shampooing

2

: a preparation used in shampooing

Examples of shampoo in a Sentence

Verb

She shampoos her hair every morning.

We need to shampoo the rug.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

To experience its magic for yourself, massage two to four droppers of product into your scalp before shampooing, or use it as a nourishing overnight treatment. —Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026

To use the treatment, massage it into hair after shampooing, leave it on for five minutes, and rinse it out. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2025

Noun

In addition to the serum, shop the hair oil and shine-boosting shampoo and conditioner that Moore also used. —Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026

Appearance wise, using a good dry shampoo to soak up excess oil or simply washing your hair more often can help. —Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1762, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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