IPA: /ˈsɪm.jʊlənt/
KK: /ˈsɪm.jə.lənt/
A thing that imitates or replicates another thing, often used to refer to a material or object that resembles something else, like a fake gemstone.
The jeweler showed me a simulant that looked just like a real diamond.
Simulant → It is formed from "simul" (from Latin "simulare", meaning to imitate or pretend) and "-ant" (a suffix used to form adjectives indicating an agent or something that performs an action). The word "simulant" refers to someone or something that imitates or pretends to be something else.
Think of 'simul' meaning to 'imitate' — a simulant is someone who imitates or pretends to be something they are not.