Flop

[flop] /flɒp/

verb (used without object), flopped, flopping.
1.
to fall or plump down suddenly, especially with noise; drop or turn with a sudden bump or thud (sometimes followed by down):
The puppy flopped down on the couch.
2.
to change suddenly, as from one side or party to another (often followed by over).
3.
to be a complete failure; fail:
The play flopped dismally.
4.
Informal. to sleep or be lodged:
to flop at a friend’s house.
5.
to swing loosely; bounce; flap:
His long hair flops in his eyes when he runs.
verb (used with object), flopped, flopping.
6.
to drop with a sudden bump or thud:
He flopped his books on a chair.
7.
to dispose (oneself) in a heavily negligent manner:
to flop oneself in a chair.
8.
to invert (the negative of a photograph) so that the right and left sides are transposed.
noun
9.
an act of flopping.
10.
the sound of flopping; a thud.
11.
a failure:
The new comedy was a flop.
12.
Informal. a place to sleep; temporary lodging:
The mission offered a flop and a free breakfast.
/flɒp/
verb flops, flopping, flopped
1.
(intransitive) to bend, fall, or collapse loosely or carelessly: his head flopped backwards
2.
when intr, often foll by into, onto, etc. to fall, cause to fall, or move with a sudden noise: the books flopped onto the floor
3.
(intransitive) (informal) to fail; be unsuccessful: the scheme flopped
4.
(intransitive) to fall flat onto the surface of water, hitting it with the front of the body
5.
(slang) (intransitive) often foll by out. to go to sleep
noun
6.
the act of flopping
7.
(informal) a complete failure
8.
(US & Canadian, slang) a place to sleep
9.
(athletics) See Fosbury flop
10.
(poker) the flop, the first three community cards dealt face-up in a round of any of several varieties of poker, including Texas hold ’em
v.

c.1600, probably a variant of flap with a duller, heavier sound. Sense of “fall or drop heavily” is 1836, that of “collapse, fail” is 1919; though the figurative noun sense of “a failure” is recorded from 1893. Related: Flopped; flopping.
n.

1823, in the literal sense, from flop (v.). Figurative use by 1893.

noun

verb

Related Terms

belly flop

1. An early system on the IBM 701.
[Listed in CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)].
(1994-11-14)
2. Erroneous singular of FLOPS.
(2005-06-17)
floating-point operation