shampoo means A traditional Indian and Persian body massage given after pouring warm water over the body and rubbing it with extracts from herbs.
shampoo is pronounced /ʃæmˈpuː/.
Why “shampoo” is a great word
A liquid preparation, typically containing detergent, used for washing the hair, or the act of washing with such a preparation. From Hindi चाँपो (cā̃po), imperative form of चाँपना (cā̃pnā, 'to press, knead'), first attested in English in 1762 in the sense 'to massage'. Unlike 'soap', a general-purpose cleanser for skin and surfaces, or 'conditioner', a subsequent treatment for softness, shampoo denotes the specific ritual of purifying the scalp and its crown. It is the brisk, circular rub of fingertips through wet strands, the cool lather rising with the scent of eucalyptus or neem, and the slow, sudsy cascade down the nape—the minor, fragrant sacrament of washing away the world’s residue to begin again.
Etymology
From Hindi चाँपो (cā̃po) / चांपो (cāmpo), imperative form of चाँपना (cā̃pnā) / चांपना (cāmpnā, “to press, knead”), mid 18th c.
noun
- A traditional Indian and Persian body massage given after pouring warm water over the body and rubbing it with extracts from herbs.
- A commercial liquid soaplike product for washing hair or other fibers, such as carpets.“These endocrine disruptors are everywhere: plastics, shampoos, cosmetics, cushions, pesticides, canned foods and A.T.M. receipts. They often aren’t on labels and can be difficult to avoid.”
- An instance of washing the hair or other fibres with shampoo.“I’m going to give the carpet a shampoo.”
- Champagne.
verb
- To wash one's own hair with shampoo.“My neat-freak of a friend has been compulsively shampooing for every bath he has taken.”
- To wash (i.e. the hair, carpet, etc.) with shampoo.“Each pony had his sais, his groom, who lived and ate and slept with the animal, and had betted a good deal more than he could afford on the result of the game. There was no chance of anything going wrong, but to make sure, each sais was shampooing the legs of his pony to the last minute. Behind the saises sat as many of the Skidars' regiment as had leave to attend the match […]”
- 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.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- salve 79% match — An ointment, cream, or balm with soothing, healing, or calming effects. vs shampoo →
- emollient 78% match — Something which softens or lubricates the skin; moisturizer. vs shampoo →
- pomatum 78% match — Synonym of ointment, particularly thick waxy ointments scented with fruit used to beautify the skin or hair. vs shampoo →
- ablution 78% match — The act of washing something.; Originally, the purifying of oils and other substances by emulsification with hot water; now more generally, a thorough cleansing of a precipitate or other non-dissolved substance. vs shampoo →
- balm 78% match — Any of various aromatic resins exuded from certain plants, especially trees of the genus Commiphora of Africa, Arabia and India and Myroxylon of South America. vs shampoo →
- footwashing 77% match — The washing of a person's feet. vs shampoo →
- collyrium 77% match — A lotion or liquid wash used as a cleanser for the eyes; an eye-salve. vs shampoo →
- caress 77% match — An act of endearment; any act or expression of affection; an embracing, or touching, with tenderness. vs shampoo →