What does ops mean in minecraft?

Answer 1

It depends on what server you go on. On a default vanilla server, an op is the highest rank you can have. On a bukkit server, there are plugins that can make it so that you can have ranks such as Guest --> Builder --> Moderator --> Operator (op) --> Admin --> Owner. They can have different abilities like Operators might not be able to turn off the server or IP ban people while the admins and the owner(s) can. Each tier is generally able to do more than the last tier but is also allowed the same functions of the last too.

Operators are just like Moderators if you know what Mods are in a server. An op is the second rank down and an admin is the highest there is (depending whether a bukkit server is used with plugins) little difference between the two exept for the fact an administrators can ban an op, but an op can't ban an admin, also admins can turn into animals on bucket servers (only with a plugin).