peek-a-boo

A form of peekaboo — A game for a small child in which one covers one's face, then suddenly reveals it, saying "Boo!" or "Peekaboo!".

Meanings

nounpeek-a-boo (uncountable)
  1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of peekaboo.
adjectivepeek-a-boo (not comparable)
  1. alternativenot comparableAlternative form of peekaboo.

    You’ve got a peek-a-boo skirt that shows off your best assets!

    2007, Melissa Alvarado, Hope Meng, Melissa Rannels, Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads into Street Couture, The Taunton Press, →ISBN, page 107, column 2
    5 more examples

    “You have a bad cold? No wonder! If I went around with a peek-a-boo coat, no waistcoat and a sleeveless shirt, I would have a cold too, and serve me right.”

    1922 February, Poiret, “The Clothes of Women”, in The O. A. C. Review, volume XXXIV, number 6, London, Ont.: The Ontario Agricultural College Students’ Publishing Association, page 242, column 1

    It had made its reputation selling peek-a-boo jeans in the last days of the hard rock concerts.

    1982, Victoria Webb, A Little Ladykilling, New York, N.Y.: The Dial Press, →ISBN, page 106

    Next came the more conservative black peek-a-boo swimsuit that covered more than it seemed.

    2002, Natalie Dunbar, Everything but Love, Genesis Press, Inc., →ISBN, page 52

    Wayne would smile back, but that’s all; her beauty, coupled with her sexy perfume and low cut peek-a-boo dress, left him a little awestruck.

    2003, David Roland, The Last Drive to Vegas, 1stBooks, →ISBN, page 174

    Dressing in a flash, she sausaged on her skinny jeans and sleeveless camo top with peek-a-boo sides for boob aficionados.

    2016, Christopher Carr, Mayday, 2nd edition, SynergEbooks, →ISBN, page 51
verbpeek-a-boo (third-person singular simple present peek-a-boos, present participle peek-a-booing, simple past and past participle peek-a-booed)

present singular third person peek-a-boos · participle present peek-a-booing · participle past peek-a-booed · past peek-a-booed

  1. alternativeAlternative form of peekaboo.

    She was wearing a stiff maroon saree and as she talked, her lacy black bra peek-a-booed from under her blouse.

    2015, SJ Sindu, “Husband Hunting”, in Rosalie Morales Kearns, editor, The Female Complaint: Tales of Unruly Women, Albany, N.Y.: Shade Mountain Press, →ISBN, part III (Entanglements), page 172
    2 more examples

    The rose stands to me for the sunshine / That helps to make all burdens light; / And silver I’d use for the star-shine / That peek-a-boos through the dark night.

    1927, Audrey E. Cann, “Silver and Rose”, in The Year Book, Marlborough, Mass.: Marlborough High School, page 18

    It was the same sun of forty years before, when I had wanted to believe it was no bigger than a sunflower; the same sun peek-a-booing through the palm trees in Miami since I was a child; the same sun my soul had taken in countless times rising over the ocean.

    2013, Richard Blanco, For All of Us, One Today: An Inaugural Poet’s Journey, Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press, →ISBN, page 66
interjection
  1. alternativeAlternative form of peekaboo.

    So he took a deep breath, popped up with a six gun in each hand, and said, “Peek-a-boo!” as he opened up at point blank range with both of them!

    1981, Ramsay Thorne (pseudonym; Lou Cameron), Citadel of Death (Renegade; 11), New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, →ISBN, page 90
    2 more examples

    One of the shooters looked under a desk and found 17-year-old Kacey Ruegsegger cowering there. He said “Peek-a-boo” and shot her at nearly point-blank range.

    2000, Gregory K. Moffatt, “Homicide by Children, Part II: Columbine”, in Blind-Sided: Homicide Where It Is Least Expected, Westport, Conn.; London: Praeger, →ISBN, page 151

    Daniel started playing peek-a-boo with his son, who was using Ayse’s dark hair as a hiding place. The boy laughed every time Daniel would surprise him, saying, “peek-a-boo,” as he did.

    2003, Charles Sobczak, A Choice of Angels, Sanibel Island, Fla.: Indigo Press LLC, →ISBN, page 325

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
Cite this entry
APA

peek-a-boo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peek-a-boo

MLA

“peek-a-boo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peek-a-boo. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “peek-a-boo,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peek-a-boo.

Source: peek-a-boo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.