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.

See Examples For:

flops

He was alone and wearing light summer clothing, including shorts and flip flops.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Because you can bank on the fact that, in L.A., people won’t turn up or tune in for flops and failure.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

Parton’s film career yielded classics, including “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias,” as well as flops, like “Rhinestone.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

The bison then repeatedly flops on its side in an agitated fashion before hopping to its feet.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Lark flops across one of the swings, her belly to the ground.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

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