Virtualizer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tool that allows for the creation of simulated environments mirroring real-world systems
2. A program that creates virtual versions of hardware or operating systems to simulate real computing environments
3. An application that replicates physical hardware allowing multiple operating systems to run independently on a single machine

Etymology: Virtualizer is a plain formation: the verb "virtualize" with the agentive suffix "-er" added at the end. The verb itself is built from "virtual" plus "-ize," a suffix that traces back through Late Latin "-izare" and Ancient Greek "-izein," used to turn adjectives and nouns into verbs meaning "to make into" or "to treat as." "Virtual" comes from Late Latin "virtualis," from Latin "virtus," originally meaning "strength" or "power," and in Middle English it carried the sense of having an effect without being formally present. The suffix "-er" entered English through Old English "-ere," which denoted a person or thing that performs an action, and it attaches easily to verbs like "virtualize" to name the agent that carries that action out. In this case, the agent is software or a system that creates virtual machines, which is why the term is used in computing.