Floppies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to flexible magnetic storage disks used in computers for data transfer and storage
2. Describing round, thin, and flexible disks that have been largely replaced by modern storage devices
3. Signifying obsolete data storage mediums that were widely used in the 1980s and 1990s

Etymology: "Floppies" is the plural of "floppy," which in its noun sense names the thin, flexible magnetic disks used to store computer data. The word's core is "flop," a verb meaning to fall or drop heavily, and the suffix "-y" turns it into an adjective for something that flops easily, like a floppy hat brim or a dog's floppy ears. The "-y" ending has been part of English since Middle English, and it is the same suffix found in words like "dirty" or "sleepy." The computing sense came from the disk's physical behavior. Early floppy disks were thin, flexible sheets of plastic coated with magnetic material, enclosed in a paper or plastic sleeve, so they bent when handled. That pliancy gave the name its sense, setting them apart from the rigid hard disks that followed.