shampoo
Americanverb (used with object)
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shampoos,
present (3rd person singular)
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shampooed,
past participle, past
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shampooing
present participle
-
to wash (the head or hair), especially with a cleaning preparation that does not leave a soap film.
-
to clean (rugs, upholstery, or the like) with a special preparation.
-
Archaic. to massage.
noun
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shampoos
plural
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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shampoosimple
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shampoossimple
-
have shampooedperfect
-
has shampooedperfect
-
am shampooingprogressive
-
are shampooingprogressive
-
is shampooingprogressive
-
have been shampooingperfect progressive
-
has been shampooingperfect progressive
Past
-
shampooedsimple
-
had shampooedperfect
-
was shampooingprogressive
-
were shampooingprogressive
-
had been shampooingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shampoo
1755–65; earlier champo to massage < an inflected form of Hindi cāmpnā literally, to press
Explanation
Got dirty hair? Get yourself some shampoo and jump in the shower! Shampoo is soap made especially for washing hair. Use shampoo for the liquid soap itself, or for the act of using it: "I don't have time for a shampoo, so I'll wear my favorite cowboy hat." It's also a verb: "I love the way my hair smells after I shampoo it!" You can also shampoo a carpet—or a dog. Shampoo originally meant "to massage," stemming from a Hindi root, champo, "press or knead muscles."
Vocabulary lists containing shampoo
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.
See Examples For:
"I haven't bought shampoo for eight years," says the 44-year-old sales assistant.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
But consumer staples tend to fare relatively well when the economy slows, as people continue to shop for items like soap, toothpaste and shampoo.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026
The maker of Crest toothpaste and Pantene shampoo also gave a soft outlook for the current fiscal year, forecasting profit and sales below Wall Street’s expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Due to food choice being limited at the larder, Matthew said he mainly used it for nappies, toilet roll, shampoo and some food for himself.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Fine. Just give me some shampoo and go outside, will you?”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
That leaves Unilever to focus on brands including Dove personal-care products, Nexxus shampoos and Olly vitamins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Companies that made the cosmetics, shampoos, and other beauty products sold to teens and tweens, though?
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2025
“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 ● Jun. 2, 2024
I shower — admittedly it’s the moment I am looking forward to the most, when I get to test out the little shampoos and conditioners and liquid soaps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2024
She learned, from women who posted long instructions, to avoid shampoos with silicones, to use a leave-in conditioner on wet hair, to sleep in a satin scarf.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
He spent three hours with a pet groomer, who shampooed a dog while Avi peppered her with questions about her schedule, her training and whether she likes her job.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
In the People story, Steve Doocy, 68, joked that his son had actually been hit by “a stork” and that George had arrived shortly after his son shampooed out any bird goo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025
Is it applied to the scalp prior to shampooing for a number of minutes, then shampooed out?
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2022
“We just took that time and I just shampooed and deep-cleaned everything,” Ford said.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 16, 2021
His mother has shampooed the vermilion from her part.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
She also taught the fathers basic hair-care techniques, including shampooing, detangling, checking for lice and how to tie ponytails and braids.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
If your hair or scalp are dry, you might limit shampooing to once or twice a week, Garshick added.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
Drought conditions are so bad in Northern Italy that the mayor of the Italian town of Castenaso is fining salons that practice double shampooing.
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2022
There are many examples of companies creating problems they then solve, from the marketing of cosmetics to the origin of women's razors to how shampooing more frequently came about.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2022
For a while she simply stands there before tending to the shampooing of her hair, the soaping of her softening, slightly shrinking fifty-three-year-old body, which she must fortify each morning with calcium pills.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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