peekaboo

American  

[peek-uh-boo] / ˈpik əˌbu /

noun

1. Also called bo-peep.  a game played by or with very young children, typically in which one covers the face or hides and then suddenly uncovers the face or reappears, calling “Peekaboo!”

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adjective

1. Clothing.

   1. decorated with openwork.

   2. made of a sheer and revealing material, as some blouses for women.

2. appearing briefly and then vanishing, or promising to appear but failing to do so.

   the fluctuating response of the stock market to a peekaboo economic recovery.

peekaboo British  

/ ˈpiːkəˌbuː /

noun

1. a game for young children, in which one person hides his face and suddenly reveals it and cries "peekaboo."

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adjective

1. (of a garment) made of fabric that is almost transparent or patterned with small holes

Etymology

Origin of peekaboo

1590–1600; peek + -a- connective + boo ¹

Example Sentences

Other tracks include tv off, dodger blue, peekaboo, and gnx.

From BBC • Nov. 23, 2024

Babies love playing peekaboo, continuing to react even on the tenth sudden appearance of their partner in the game.

From Science Daily • Jan. 3, 2024

He urges Sam to search for Jois, and, instead of a peekaboo mystery, she turns up, happy and not especially regretful.

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2023

That river was a wandering, seasonal thing that played peekaboo, trickling through a braided network of little streams and existing springs.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2023

She helps the mother keep the promise she made in the peekaboo song she once sang to her son.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool