flops

American

[flops] / flɒps /

noun

Computers.

a measure of computer speed, equal to the number of floating-point operations the computer can perform per second (used especially in combination withmega-, giga-, tera- ).

flops British

acronym

floating-point operations per second: used as a measure of computer processing power (in combination with a prefix)

megaflops
gigaflops

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of flops

First recorded in 1985–90; shortening of fl(oating-point) op(erations per) s(econd)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lest you assume “Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions” is an exercise in pedagogy, be not afraid.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2024

The Medford Mail-Tribune had a photo caption, “Fosbury Flops Over the Bar,” after one of his school meets.

From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2023

The term Fosbury Flop is credited to the Medford Mail-Tribune, which wrote the headline “Fosbury Flops Over the Bar” after one of his high school meets.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2023

They eventually shifted production to Colombia, benefiting from bilateral trade agreements with the United States, and began selling Combat Flip Flops online in 2013.

From New York Times • May 30, 2022

Like all Flops, Buffo was not allowed to carry a gun, but that made no difference to him.

From "Milkweed" by Jerry Spinelli

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023