Frame rate
Also said as FPS, Frames per second
How many new pictures the game shows each second. Higher looks smoother and also shortens the delay before your press can show up.
A steady lower rate often feels better than an uneven higher one. Players notice a stutter more than they notice a number.
Say it
“Hold 60 FPS during combat, even if that means dropping resolution. Frame pacing matters more here than sharpness.”
Where you’ve seen it
Fighting games such as Street Fighter lock to 60 FPS and treat that as law: each move's timing is measured in those frames.
Not to be confused with refresh rate
Frame rate is what the game produces. Refresh rate is what the screen can show. A 60 Hz display cannot show you 120 FPS.