peek-a-boo

See also: peekaboo

English

Noun

peek-a-boo (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of peekaboo

Adjective

peek-a-boo (not comparable)

1. Alternative form of peekaboo
   • 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:

     “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.”

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

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

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

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

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

     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.

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

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

   • 2016, Christopher Carr, Mayday, 2nd edition, SynergEbooks, →ISBN, page 51:

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

Verb

peek-a-boo (third-person singular simple present peek-a-boos, present participle peek-a-booing, simple past and past participle peek-a-booed)

1. Alternative form of peekaboo
   • 1927, Audrey E. Cann, “Silver and Rose”, in The Year Book, Marlborough, Mass.: Marlborough High School, page 18:

     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.

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

     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.

   • 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:

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

Interjection

peek-a-boo

1. Alternative form of peekaboo
   • 1981, Ramsay Thorne (pseudonym; Lou Cameron), Citadel of Death (Renegade; 11), New York, N.Y.: Warner Books, →ISBN, page 90:

     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!

   • 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:

     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.

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

     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.