Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense flip-flops, present participle flip-flopping, past tense, past participle flip-flopped
1. plural noun
Flip-flops are open shoes which are held on your feet by a strap that goes between your toes.
2. verb
If you say that someone, especially a politician, flip-flops on a decision, you are critical of them because they change their decision, so that they do or think the opposite.
[mainly US, informal, disapproval]
He has been criticized for flip-flopping on several key issues. [VERB + on]
He seemed so sure of his decision, how could he flip-flop so dramatically now? [VERB]
Flip-flop is also a noun.
The President's flip-flops on taxes made him appear indecisive.
flip-flop in British English
noun
1.
a backward handspring
2. Also called: bistable
an electronic device or circuit that can assume either of two stable states by the application of a suitable pulse
3. informal
a complete change of opinion, policy, etc
4.
a repeated flapping or banging noise
5. Also called (US, Canadian, Austral, and NZ): thong
a rubber-soled sandal attached to the foot by a thong between the big toe and the next toe
verbWord forms: -flops, -flopping or -flopped(intransitive)
6. informal
to make a complete change of opinion, policy, etc
7.
to move with repeated flaps
adverb
8.
with repeated flappings
to go flip-flop
Word origin
C16: reduplication of flip
flip-flop in American English
(ˈflɪpˌflɑp)
noun
1. US
an acrobatic spring backward from the feet to the hands and back to the feet
2.
an abrupt change, as to an opposite opinion
3.
a flapping noise
4.
thong (sense 3)
5. Electronics
a circuit having two stable states and remaining in one until a signal causes it to switch to the other
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈflip-ˌflopped or ˈflip-ˌflopping
6.
to do a flip-flop
flip flop in Electrical Engineering
(flɪp flɒp)
Word forms: (regular plural) flip flops
noun
(Electrical engineering: Computing and control, Digital)
A flip flop is a memory device that is used in digital equipment to store a one or a zero as a bit of memory.
A flip flop is a bistable multivibrator, which is capable of storing one bit of information.
The common hardware storage device is the flip flop.
A flip flop is a memory device that is used in digital equipment to store a one or a zero asa bit of memory.