Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various liquid or cream preparations of soap or detergent used to wash the hair and scalp.
  • noun Any of various cleaning agents for rugs, upholstery, or cars.
  • noun The act or process of washing or cleaning with shampoo.
  • transitive & intransitive verb To wash or undergo washing with shampoo.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To rub and percuss the whole surface of (the body), and at the same time to extend the limbs and rack the joints, in connection with a hot bath, for the purpose of restoring tone and vigor to the system; a practice introduced from the East. Such kneading and rubbing of the whole body is now commonly called massage. Also used figuratively.
  • To lather, wash, and rub or brush (the head) thoroughly.
  • noun The act or operation of shampooing, in either sense.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of shampooing.
  • transitive verb To press or knead the whole surface of the body of (a person), and at the same time to stretch the limbs and joints, in connection with the hot bath.
  • transitive verb To wash throughly and rub the head of (a person), with the fingers, using either soap, or a soapy preparation, for the more thorough cleansing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A traditional Indian and Persian body massage given after pouring warm water over the body and rubbing it with extracts from herbs.
  • noun A commercial liquid soap product for washing hair or other fibres/fibers, such as carpets.
  • noun An instance of washing the hair or other fibres with shampoo.
  • noun humorous, slang Champagne (wine).
  • verb intransitive To wash one's own hair with shampoo.
  • verb transitive To wash (i.e. the hair, carpet, etc.) with shampoo.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun cleansing agent consisting of soaps or detergents used for washing the hair
  • noun the act of washing your hair with shampoo
  • verb use shampoo on (hair)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Hindi cāṁpō, imperative of cāṁpnā, to press.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Hindi चाँपो (champo), imperative form of चाँपना (champna, "to press, knead"), from the Sanskrit root चपयति (√cap, "to pound, knead").

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Examples

  • i dunch condition .. but irrc conditioner + shampoo wan ish use as per normal shampoo~

    www.hardwarezone.com.sg 2009

  • Chemists in Germany and elsewhere continued to make headway researching alternatives to alkaline soaps, and after World War I, the wider availability of indoor plumbing brought the word shampoo a big step closer to international recognition.

    The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010

  • After World War II, variations on the word shampoo emerged in most major marketplace languages to refer to the new product rather than to the older practice of the shampoo or shampooing.

    The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010

  • Chemists in Germany and elsewhere continued to make headway researching alternatives to alkaline soaps, and after World War I, the wider availability of indoor plumbing brought the word shampoo a big step closer to international recognition.

    The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010

  • Happily, in English the word shampoo can still radiate a Hindi blend of sacred health and pleasure.

    The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010

  • Happily, in English the word shampoo can still radiate a Hindi blend of sacred health and pleasure.

    The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010

  • Because now I realize that perhaps my shampoo is a bit too expensive.

    I get bored easily and I take it out on Oswego Tea... Michele 2007

  • Because now I realize that perhaps my shampoo is a bit too expensive.

    Books for Cooks and also.. why no pictures? Michele 2007

  • Because now I realize that perhaps my shampoo is a bit too expensive. hahahahooo gafaw love you!

    Books for Cooks and also.. why no pictures? Michele 2007

  • Of course, "shampoo" is not necessarily what we use to wash our hair.

    How do I deter the bottle brigade? What have you done? 2009

Comments

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  • Sham and poo in a same word. Too scared to see the etymology, if there is any.

    March 2, 2008

  • Would you rather use realpoo?

    March 2, 2008

  • Ok, let's be brave!!

    from the online etymological dictionary:

    1762, "to massage," from Anglo-Indian shampoo, from Hindi champo, imperative of champna "to press, knead the muscles," perhaps from Skt. capayati "pounds, kneads." Meaning "wash the hair" first recorded 1860; extended 1954 to carpets, upholstery, etc. The noun meaning "soap for shampooing" first recorded 1866.

    March 6, 2008

  • That doesn't sound so bad. Hindi? Cool.

    March 6, 2008

  • Umbrage! I demand realpoo!

    January 16, 2010

  • *steps away from PossU*

    January 17, 2010