avatar

American  

[av-uh-tahr, av-uh-tahr] / ˈæv əˌtɑr, ˌæv əˈtɑr /

noun

1. Hinduism. the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape; the incarnation of a god.

2. an embodiment or personification, as of a principle, attitude, or view of life.

   Her complete loss of confidence was particularly unsettling, because generally she is the very avatar of hope.

3. Digital Technology. a static or moving image or other graphic representation that acts as a proxy for a person or is associated with a specific digital account or identity, as on the internet.

   My friend always chooses warriors as his video game avatars.

   Now that spring's here I've switched my Instagram avatar from a stack of books to a robin's egg.

4. Also called avatar mouse,.  Also called mouse avatar.  a mouse that is implanted with cells or tissue freshly extracted from a human being, as to test drug therapies for an individual patient or to study a disease process.

   Researchers transplanted samples of the patient’s tumor into specially bred avatars.

5. (in science fiction) a hybrid creature, composed of human and alien DNA and remotely controlled by the mind of a genetically matched human being.

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avatar British  

/ ˈævəˌtɑː /

noun

1. Hinduism the manifestation of a deity, notably Vishnu, in human, superhuman, or animal form

2. a visible manifestation or embodiment of an abstract concept; archetype

3. a movable image that represents a person in a virtual reality environment or in cyberspace

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avatar Cultural  

1. In Hinduism, a god made visibly present, especially in a human form. The Buddha is considered an avatar of the god Vishnu.

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Discover More

By extension, an “avatar” is any new embodiment of an old idea.

Etymology

Origin of avatar

First recorded in 1775–85; from Sanskrit avatāra “a passing down, descent,” from ava “down” + -tāra “a passing over” (akin to Latin trāns “across, beyond, through”; through ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

The research also identified many more accounts on both Instagram and TikTok with similar AI-generated avatars that did not link to paid content.

From BBC

The appearance of the avatar itself is the result of research into user reactions to different faces, which gauged “trustworthiness, likability, and power/dominance.”

From Salon

Since giving birth, she has used AQ even more, asking paediatrician avatars about rashes or for general care advice.

From Barron's

But it is also the avatar of a decadent Old World barely capable of maintaining the artifacts of its past, let alone rekindling its genius.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the troika of major figures in the Russian Revolution, Trotsky stood for ideas and Stalin represented power; their predecessor, Vladimir Lenin, had fused the two values as the frowning avatar of communist leadership.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• apotheosis
• archetype
• epitome
• exemplar
• expression
• personification
• realization
• symbol