physics engine
nounUK /ˈfɪz.ɪks ˈen.dʒɪn/
US /ˈfɪz.ɪks ˈen.dʒɪn/
A computer program that makes pretend things move and bump into each other like real objects.
The game's physics engine makes the ball bounce off the wall.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The part of a video game that calculates how objects fall, slide, and crash.
The developers tuned the physics engine so the cars roll over realistically.
3. Software used by scientists and engineers to model how real objects move under forces.
They used a physics engine to test how the bridge would sway in strong wind.
4. A set of math rules in a program that decides how fast things speed up, slow down, or spin.
Without a good physics engine, the falling boxes looked floaty and fake.