flip-flop

English
A variety of colourful flip-flops (sense 1).

Alternative forms

Etymology

Onomatopoeic: most probably an imitation of the sound produced when walking in them.

Pronunciation
  • (UK) enPR: flĭp'flŏp", IPA(key): /ˈflɪpˌflɒp/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈflɪpˌflɑp/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

flip-flop (plural flip-flops)

  1. (US, UK, Fiji) A sandal consisting of a rubber sole fastened to the foot by a rubber thong fitting between the toes and around the sides of the foot. [from 20th c.]
    • 2004: the necessity for yet another place at which to buy a polo shirt or a pair of flip-flops may not be apparent to the town's residents — The New Yorker, 30 August 2004, p.38
  2. A change of places; an inversion or swap.
    • 1964, Scholastic Coach, volume 34, page 18:
      On the break for strong left, everything remains the same, except for the flip-flop of positions.
    1. (US) An instance of flip-flopping, of repeatedly changing one's stated opinion about a matter. [from 19th c.]
    • 2020 April 8, David Clough, “How the West Coast wiring war was won”, in Rail, page 61:
      BR's flip-flop attitude towards the two options can be observed in comments made by the BR chairman in September 1967, which were interpreted as meaning that the facts now have to be "adjusted" to prove the electrification case.
  3. (computing, electronics) A bistable; an electronic switching circuit that has either two stable states (switching between them in response to a trigger) or a stable and an unstable state (switching from one to the other and back again in response to a trigger), and which is thereby capable of serving as one bit of memory. [from 20th c.]
    • 2012, George Dyson, Turing's Cathedral, Penguin, published 2013, page 72:
      Ten two-state flip-flops […] were formed into ten-stage ring counters representing each decimal digit in the ten-digit accumulators […]
  4. The sound of a regular footfall.
  5. A somersault. [from 19th c.]
  6. (US, slang, truck driving) A return trip.
    • 1975, “Convoy”, in C.W. McCall, Chip Davis (lyrics), Black Bear Road, performed by C. W. McCall:
      We'll catch you on the flip-flop. This here's the Rubber Duck on the side. We gone, 'bye, 'bye.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants
  • → Japanese: フリップフロップ (furippu-furoppu)

Translations
footwear — see thong

See also

Verb

flip-flop (third-person singular simple present flip-flops, present participle flip-flopping, simple past and past participle flip-flopped)

  1. To alternate back and forth between directly opposite opinions, ideas, or decisions.
    Synonyms: U-turn, vacillate

Further reading

Finnish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From English flip-flop.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈflipˌflop/, [ˈflipˌflo̞p]
  • Rhymes: -op
  • Syllabification(key): flip‧flop

Noun

flip-flop

  1. (Anglicism) flip-flop (footwear)

Declension
Inflection of flip-flop (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative flip-flop flip-flopit
genitive flip-flopin flip-flopien
partitive flip-flopia flip-flopeja
illative flip-flopiin flip-flopeihin
singular plural
nominative flip-flop flip-flopit
accusative nom. flip-flop flip-flopit
gen. flip-flopin
genitive flip-flopin flip-flopien
partitive flip-flopia flip-flopeja
inessive flip-flopissa flip-flopeissa
elative flip-flopista flip-flopeista
illative flip-flopiin flip-flopeihin
adessive flip-flopilla flip-flopeilla
ablative flip-flopilta flip-flopeilta
allative flip-flopille flip-flopeille
essive flip-flopina flip-flopeina
translative flip-flopiksi flip-flopeiksi
abessive flip-flopitta flip-flopeitta
instructive — flip-flopein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of flip-flop (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative flip-flopini flip-flopini
accusative nom. flip-flopini flip-flopini
gen. flip-flopini
genitive flip-flopini flip-flopieni
partitive flip-flopiani flip-flopejani
inessive flip-flopissani flip-flopeissani
elative flip-flopistani flip-flopeistani
illative flip-flopiini flip-flopeihini
adessive flip-flopillani flip-flopeillani
ablative flip-flopiltani flip-flopeiltani
allative flip-flopilleni flip-flopeilleni
essive flip-flopinani flip-flopeinani
translative flip-flopikseni flip-flopeikseni
abessive flip-flopittani flip-flopeittani
instructive — —
comitative — flip-flopeineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative flip-flopisi flip-flopisi
accusative nom. flip-flopisi flip-flopisi
gen. flip-flopisi
genitive flip-flopisi flip-flopiesi
partitive flip-flopiasi flip-flopejasi
inessive flip-flopissasi flip-flopeissasi
elative flip-flopistasi flip-flopeistasi
illative flip-flopiisi flip-flopeihisi
adessive flip-flopillasi flip-flopeillasi
ablative flip-flopiltasi flip-flopeiltasi
allative flip-flopillesi flip-flopeillesi
essive flip-flopinasi flip-flopeinasi
translative flip-flopiksesi flip-flopeiksesi
abessive flip-flopittasi flip-flopeittasi
instructive — —
comitative — flip-flopeinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative flip-flopimme flip-flopimme
accusative nom. flip-flopimme flip-flopimme
gen. flip-flopimme
genitive flip-flopimme flip-flopiemme
partitive flip-flopiamme flip-flopejamme
inessive flip-flopissamme flip-flopeissamme
elative flip-flopistamme flip-flopeistamme
illative flip-flopiimme flip-flopeihimme
adessive flip-flopillamme flip-flopeillamme
ablative flip-flopiltamme flip-flopeiltamme
allative flip-flopillemme flip-flopeillemme
essive flip-flopinamme flip-flopeinamme
translative flip-flopiksemme flip-flopeiksemme
abessive flip-flopittamme flip-flopeittamme
instructive — —
comitative — flip-flopeinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative flip-flopinne flip-flopinne
accusative nom. flip-flopinne flip-flopinne
gen. flip-flopinne
genitive flip-flopinne flip-flopienne
partitive flip-flopianne flip-flopejanne
inessive flip-flopissanne flip-flopeissanne
elative flip-flopistanne flip-flopeistanne
illative flip-flopiinne flip-flopeihinne
adessive flip-flopillanne flip-flopeillanne
ablative flip-flopiltanne flip-flopeiltanne
allative flip-flopillenne flip-flopeillenne
essive flip-flopinanne flip-flopeinanne
translative flip-flopiksenne flip-flopeiksenne
abessive flip-flopittanne flip-flopeittanne
instructive — —
comitative — flip-flopeinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative flip-flopinsa flip-flopinsa
accusative nom. flip-flopinsa flip-flopinsa
gen. flip-flopinsa
genitive flip-flopinsa flip-flopiensa
partitive flip-flopiaan
flip-flopiansa		 flip-flopejaan
flip-flopejansa
inessive flip-flopissaan
flip-flopissansa		 flip-flopeissaan
flip-flopeissansa
elative flip-flopistaan
flip-flopistansa		 flip-flopeistaan
flip-flopeistansa
illative flip-flopiinsa flip-flopeihinsa
adessive flip-flopillaan
flip-flopillansa		 flip-flopeillaan
flip-flopeillansa
ablative flip-flopiltaan
flip-flopiltansa		 flip-flopeiltaan
flip-flopeiltansa
allative flip-flopilleen
flip-flopillensa		 flip-flopeilleen
flip-flopeillensa
essive flip-flopinaan
flip-flopinansa		 flip-flopeinaan
flip-flopeinansa
translative flip-flopikseen
flip-flopiksensa		 flip-flopeikseen
flip-flopeiksensa
abessive flip-flopittaan
flip-flopittansa		 flip-flopeittaan
flip-flopeittansa
instructive — —
comitative — flip-flopeineen
flip-flopeinensa

Synonyms

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English flip-flop.

Pronunciation
 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˌfli.piˈflɔ.pi/, /ˌflipˈflɔp/
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˌflipˈflɔp/, /ˌfli.piˈflɔ.pi/

Noun

flip-flop m (plural flip-flops)

  1. (electronics) flip-flop (electronic circuit able to switch between two states)
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