peekaboo
UK[ˌpiːkəˈbuː]US[ˈpiːkəˌbuː]
n
A game played with a young child in which you hide your face and then suddenly show it, saying "peekaboo!"
exclamation
Used to accompany the action in the game of peekaboo.
Etymology
Peekaboo is a classic nursery word formed in the late 16th century from the simple, child-friendly verbs "peek" and "boo." It is a reduplicative compound, a common pattern in playful or childish vocabulary, where two similar-sounding elements are combined. The word perfectly mimics the action of the game: first peeking (looking briefly), then suddenly revealing oneself with an exclamatory "boo!" to elicit surprise and delight from an infant. Its enduring form and sound demonstrate how language naturally creates expressive, onomatopoeic terms for fundamental human interactions, especially those between caregiver and child.
Analysis
This is a reduplicative compound, a playful formation from the words "peek" and "boo." "Peek" is of uncertain origin, possibly from Middle English piken. "Boo" is an exclamation used to startle, first recorded in the late 18th century.
Examples
The baby giggled with joy during a game of peekaboo.
"Peekaboo! I see you!" she said, lowering her hands from her face.
Playing peekaboo helps develop an infant's understanding of object permanence.