Meanings
proper nounthe Pac-Man effect
- informalThe flat-earth belief that someone attempting to go over the edge of the flat Earth would teleport to the other side.
Origin
In reference to the arcade game Pac-Man (1980), where the player character can warp through a tunnel from one side of the screen to the other.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Pac-Man effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pac-Man%20effect
MLA
“Pac-Man effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pac-Man%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pac-Man effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pac-Man%20effect.
Source: Pac-Man effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.