virtualmachine
nounUK /ˈvɜːtʃuəl məˈʃiːn/
US /ˈvɜːrtʃuəl məˈʃiːn/
A virtual machine is a pretend computer that runs inside a real computer.
The programmer used a virtual machine to test the new game safely.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A software environment that mimics a physical computer and runs its own operating system.
Each virtual machine on the server has its own copy of Linux.
3. In computing, a simulated system used to run programs written for a different platform.
He ran the old software in a virtual machine to keep it working.
4. A Java runtime environment that executes compiled bytecode independently of the underlying hardware.
The Java virtual machine lets the same program run on many devices.