noun
cops and robbers; hide-and-seek game
A children's game similar to tag, where 'police' chase 'thieves'. Often played outdoors. Also known as ケードロ.
See also: ケードロ
放課後、みんなでドロケイをして遊んだ。
After school, we all played cops and robbers.
ドロケイでは、警察役が泥棒役を捕まえる。
In cops and robbers, the police catch the thieves.
Kanji spelling using 泥 (mud/dirt) and 刑 (punishment); rarely used.
Same game, but the order of the components is reversed. ドロケイ emphasizes the 'thief' (泥) first, while ケードロ emphasizes the 'police' (警) first.
Abbreviation of 泥棒 (どろぼう, thief) and 警察 (けいさつ, police). The game name is formed by combining the first characters of each word.