Meanings
proper noun
alternative Cheerio effect
- natural sciencesThe tendency for objects floating on a liquid surface to clump together.
Origin
Derived from the behavior of Cheerios breakfast cereal.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Cheerios effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cheerios%20effect
MLA
“Cheerios effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cheerios%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cheerios effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cheerios%20effect.
Source: Cheerios effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.