shampoo
Americanverb (used with object)
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to wash (the head or hair), especially with a cleaning preparation that does not leave a soap film.
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to clean (rugs, upholstery, or the like) with a special preparation.
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Archaic. to massage.
noun
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the act of shampooing.
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a preparation used for shampooing, especially one that does not leave a soap film.
noun
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a liquid or cream preparation of soap or detergent to wash the hair
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a similar preparation for washing carpets, etc
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the process of shampooing
verb
Other Word Forms
- shampooer noun
Etymology
Origin of shampoo
1755–65; earlier champo to massage < an inflected form of Hindi cāmpnā literally, to press
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Petroleum is used to make thousands of products, from golf balls to children’s toys and shampoo.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
Here we are again, having washed, rinsed and repeated the process with the same shampoo in a different scent.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026
But among the market’s priciest names today are not just artificial-intelligence darlings but also discount retailers and shampoo makers — a sign that even defensive trades may be now getting expensive.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
In the morning, you may feel the sharpness of toothpaste, hear and feel water running in the shower, smell shampoo, and later take in the comforting scent of freshly brewed coffee.
From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2026
There was intense yearning inside him; he needed to tuck her head under his chin and smell her shampoo.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
