noun
Computing term for a software emulation of a physical computer.
開発環境として仮想機械を使っています。
I use a virtual machine as a development environment.
エミュレータ is a broader term for hardware or software that imitates another system, while 仮想機械 specifically refers to a virtualized computing environment.
Compound of 仮想 (virtual) and 機械 (machine), a direct translation of the English term 'virtual machine'.