V8
/viː eɪt/ · Noun · Development
Definitions
Google's open-source, high-performance JavaScript and WebAssembly engine, written in C++, that powers Chrome, Node.js, and Deno. V8 compiles JavaScript directly to native machine code using its TurboFan optimizing compiler and manages memory with a generational garbage collector.
In plain English: The engine inside Chrome and Node.js that reads JavaScript code and runs it very fast by converting it into instructions your computer's processor understands directly.
Example: "The V8 team shipped a new optimization for megamorphic property lookups, and our Node.js API got 8% faster for free."