Shampoo Originally Meant a Massage
Shampoo is a liquid for washing hair. The word came from Hindi and first meant to press or knead the muscles.
Shampoo is a preparation for washing hair. The word arrived from Hindi *chāmpo*, an imperative meaning press or knead, and in eighteenth-century English *to shampoo* meant to give a massage. Only in the nineteenth century did it narrow to washing the head, and then to the liquid used.
- Hair-washing liquid. *A bottle of shampoo.*
- To wash the hair. *Shampoo twice.*
- To clean fabric. *Carpet shampoo.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | shampoo | Mild shampoo. |
| Plural | shampoos | Different shampoos. |
| Verb | shampoo | Shampoo the carpet. |
| Past | shampooed | Freshly shampooed. |
| Related | conditioner | Hair conditioner. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Use a small amount of shampoo.Uncountable in general use.
- We had the carpets shampooed.Cleaning fabric.
- Sulphate-free shampoos are popular.A marketing category.
Words English took from South Asia
- Shampoo — from a word meaning to press
- Bungalow — from a Bengali house type
- Jungle — from Sanskrit for wasteland
- Pyjamas — from a Persian and Urdu word for leg garment
- Loot — from Hindi for plunder
From Hindi *chāmpo*, the imperative of *chāmpnā*, to press or knead. It entered English through returning colonial officials in the 1760s.
Did shampoo really mean massage?
Yes. Eighteenth-century English used it for a therapeutic massage, and shampooing houses offered the treatment.
Do you need conditioner?
It depends on hair type. Conditioner coats the hair shaft to reduce tangling and static, which shampoo tends to increase.