peek-a-boo

A baby laughs as her father plays peek-a-boo with her.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A children's game: "peek-a-boo" is a game played with a young child, in which the player hides their face and then suddenly reveals it, saying "peek-a-boo," typically to amuse the child.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The baby laughed every time we played peek-a-boo. (The baby enjoyed the game where we hid and revealed our faces.)
  • Peek-a-boo is one of the first games infants learn to enjoy. (This game helps babies understand object permanence.)

Advanced Usage

• "to play peek-a-boo": to engage in this specific game.

  • She played peek-a-boo with her toddler to make him smile. (She hid her face and reappeared to amuse her child.)

• Figurative use: "peek-a-boo" can describe something that appears and disappears intermittently.

  • The sun played peek-a-boo through the clouds. (The sun was intermittently visible and hidden.)

Variants and Related Words

• Peek (v/n): a quick or furtive look.

  • He took a peek through the keyhole. (He looked quickly and secretly.)

• Boo (interj/excl): a sound made to startle or surprise someone.

  • She said "boo" to scare her friend. (She made a sudden noise as a joke.)

Synonyms

• Hide-and-seek: a similar game where one person hides and others search.
• Peep-bo: an older term for the same game, especially in British English.

Related Idioms

• Peek-a-boo politics: a phrase used to describe politicians who appear and disappear from public view strategically.
  • The candidate's peek-a-boo appearances confused voters. (The candidate showed up rarely and unpredictably.)