Dictionary

simulator en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈsɪmjəˌleɪtɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈsɪmjʊˌleɪtə(ɹ)/ (UK)

Etymology

Etymology tree English simulate Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr Latin -tor Latin -ātor Old French -eorbor. Middle English -our ▲ Latin -torlbor. English -or English simulator From simulate + -or.

Meanings

1. One who simulates or feigns.
   • Even confessing to a crime, the man may be mad, or a knavish simulator. 1858, Thomas De Quincey, “Schlosser's Literary History of the Eighteenth Century”, in De Quincey's works, page 82:
2. A machine or system that simulates an environment (such as an aircraft cockpit), often for training purposes.
   • A wave simulator in the tank can re-enact tsunamis and northeasters, and imitate wave conditions from midocean. 2007 February 20, Tina Kelley, “A Wet Wind Tunnel So Ships Can Move Faster and Better”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 18 Dec 2022:
   • The dummy rocket is being developed to permit the ground testing of missile controls. By the use of this “flight simulator” the control devices of missiles can be subjected to operational tests on the ground, thus reducing the need for expensive flight tests. 1947 February 21, “Instruments Are Released From Rocket By Parachute in a Jump of 68 Miles”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 09 Apr 2026:
   • Classroom sessions for drivers are under way, with each driver requiring a full day on the simulator before they then test a tram on the £350 million new line. 2020 March 11, “Network News: Driver training on Trafford Park line”, in Rail, page 15:
3. A game that attempts to reproduce an experience realistically.
   • While writing for Mastertronic, David had seen that sales figures were much better for 'simulators' compared to less realistic games […] 2007, David Lester, How They Started:
   • a pinball simulator

Forms

Deriveds

Hoffman simulator · walking simulator · simulator sickness · space simulator · city simulator · dating simulator · murder simulator

Relateds

simulation

Translations (28)

cs simulátor (machine or system) · et simulaator (machine or system) · fr simulateur (machine or system) · pl trenażer (machine or system) · ca simulador (machine or system) · uk тренажер (machine or system) · pl symulant (One who simulates or feigns) · pl symulator (machine or system) · hu szimulátor (machine or system) · pl imitator (machine or system) · be сімулятар (machine or system) · ja シミュレーター (machine or system) · bg симулатор (machine or system) · ms penyelaku (machine or system) · it simulatore (machine or system) · uk симулятор (machine or system) · fi simulaattori (machine or system) · ru симулятор (machine or system) · bg симулант (One who simulates or feigns) · pt simulador (machine or system) · cs trenažér (machine or system) · es simulador (machine or system) · el προσομοιωτής (machine or system) · de Simulator (machine or system) · cmn 模拟器 (machine or system) · pl symulantka (One who simulates or feigns) · ru тренажёр (machine or system) · eo simulilo (machine or system)