fakeengine
nounUK /ˈfeɪkˌɛndʒɪn/
US /ˈfeɪkˌɛndʒɪn/
A pretend machine that looks like a real engine but does not work.
The toy car had a fakeengine under the hood that made noise but did not move it.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A computer program that imitates another program's behavior to trick people.
The game used a fakeengine to make the old console think a new cartridge was inserted.
3. A person or group that pretends to drive progress but does nothing useful.
The committee was a fakeengine, meeting often but never finishing anything.
4. A false source of power or motivation that seems real but fails.
His enthusiasm was a fakeengine that sputtered out after the first week.