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!”

---

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."

---

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

Explanation

Peekaboo is a simple game you play with babies and toddlers by hiding your face, then quickly uncovering it. Peekaboo is a good way to make a baby laugh. When you play peekaboo, you cover your face or hide behind a barrier for a few moments, then reveal yourself again to the baby and say, "Peekaboo!" A variation on peekaboo is a hiding and revealing game in which you say, "Where's the baby?" and then "There's the baby!" Peekaboo is fun because babies are generally interested and amused by it, and it's good for the development of their cognitive — or thinking — skills.

Example Sentences

In a year that’s already given us one superlative case of adult peekaboo — Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” — “Relay” proves there’s still more room for smart, punchy cloak-and-dagger options.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2025

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

I was drawn to the fanciful clothing — things like rope-yarn tops and peekaboo rower shorts — that were a universe removed from my fat boy pants.

From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2023

After a moment, I could see the green ground below again, playing peekaboo with me through holes in the clouds.

From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine