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

If it’s a mixture of high returns and big flops, he’s cherry-picking stocks without due care.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

In entertainment circles, the Oscar curse is a dreaded phenomenon, characterized by actors who have been nominated or won an Oscar, only for their post-prestige careers to be fraught with flops.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

But there have been plenty of epic flops, too.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

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

From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026

She flops onto her back and exhales toward the ceiling.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller