emulate

[v. em-yuh-leyt; adj. em-yuh-lit] /v. ˈɛm yəˌleɪt; adj. ˈɛm yə lɪt/
verb (used with object), emulated, emulating.
1.
to try to equal or excel; imitate with effort to equal or surpass:
to emulate one's father as a concert violinist.
2.
to rival with some degree of success:
Some smaller cities now emulate the major capitals in their cultural offerings.
3.
Computers.
  1. to imitate (a particular computer system) by using a software system, often including a microprogram or another computer that enables it to do the same work, run the same programs, etc., as the first.
  2. to replace (software) with hardware to perform the same task.
adjective
4.
Obsolete, emulous.
Origin
1580-90; < Latin aemulātus, past participle of aemulārī to rival. See emulous, -ate1
Related forms
emulative, adjective
emulatively, adverb
emulator, noun
nonemulative, adjective
overemulate, verb (used with object), overemulated, overemulating.
unemulative, adjective
Can be confused
emulate, immolate.
Synonyms
1. follow, copy.
Examples from the web for emulator
  • There is also a good chance your first computer or game console will exist in the form of an emulator.
  • For the purposes of the emulator, any congestion-dependant packet dropping mechanism is really sufficient.
  • Lab researchers help develop power spectrum emulator code for cosmology studies.
British Dictionary definitions for emulator

emulate

/ˈɛmjʊˌleɪt/
verb (transitive)
1.
to attempt to equal or surpass, esp by imitation
2.
to rival or compete with
3.
to make one computer behave like (another different type of computer) so that the imitating system can operate on the same data and execute the same programs as the imitated system
Derived Forms
emulative, adjective
emulatively, adverb
emulator, noun
Word Origin
C16: from Latin aemulārī, from aemulus competing with; probably related to imitārī to imitate
Word Origin and History for emulator
n.

1580s, from Latin aemulator, agent noun from aemulari (see emulation). Computer sense attested by 1965.

emulate

v.

1580s, back-formation from emulation, or else from Latin aemulatus, past participle of aemulari "to rival." Related: Emulated; emulating.

emulator in Technology


Hardware or software that performs emulation.
(1995-05-12)