flops

American  

[flops] / flɒps /

noun

Computers.

1. 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- ).

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flops British  

acronym

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

   megaflops

   gigaflops

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Etymology

Origin of flops

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

Example Sentences

Spiking production costs, a fear of flops and the risk of audience backlash have only added to this caution.

From The Wall Street Journal

But there have been plenty of epic flops, too.

From The Wall Street Journal

Decade by decade, age by age, the world flip flops between the two.

From Barron's

She’s had her own fair share of flops and bad business decisions, as well as ample successes.

From Salon

Bollywood has always been considered high-risk, producing more flops than hits, but producers say the balance has tipped sharply as star-driven costs spiral beyond what box office returns can sustain.

From Barron's