- Hinduism a god appearing on earth in bodily form; incarnation of a god
- any incarnation or embodiment, as of a quality or concept in a person
Origin of avatar
Sanskrit avat?ra from ava-, down + base of tarati, (he) crosses over: see term
noun
The definition of an avatar is something visual used to represent non-visual concepts or ideas, or is an image that is used to represent a person in the virtual world of the Internet and computers.
An example of an avatar is an icon you use to represent you on an Internet forum.
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avatar
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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avatar
noun
- The incarnation of a Hindu deity, especially Vishnu, in human or animal form.
- An embodiment or manifestation, as of a quality or concept: “Reagan was at his strongest as the avatar of American consensus, peddling a sunny normalcy, a happy-go-lucky and ultimately accommodating attitude” ( Gil Troy )
- A temporary manifestation or aspect of a continuing entity: occultism in its present avatar.
- An icon, graphic, or other image by which a person represents himself or herself on a communications network or in a virtual community, such as a chatroom or multiplayer game.
Origin of avatar
Sanskrit avatārah descent (of a deity from heaven), avatar ava down tarati he crosses ; see terə-2 in Indo-European roots.
avatar
Vishnu as Matsya (top) and as Varaha (bottom)
avatar
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"avatar." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Avatar>.
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avatar. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Avatar
Noun
(plural avatars)
- In Hinduism the incarnation of a deity, particularly Vishnu.
- The physical embodiment of an idea or concept; a personification.
- (computing or gaming) A digital representation or handle of a person or being; often, it can take on any of various forms, as a participant chooses. i.e. 3D, animated, photo, sketch
Origin
1784, from Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) अवतार / اوتار (avatār), from Sanskrit अवतार (ava-tāra, “descent of a deity from a heaven”), a compound of अव (ava, “off, away, down”) and the vṛddhi-stem of the root √tṝ (“to cross”).
In computing use, saw some use in 1980s videos games – 1985 online role-playing game Habitat by Lucasfilm Games (today LucasArts), by Chip Morningstar and Randy Farmer, later versions of the Ultima series (following religious use in 1985 Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar), and 1989 pen and paper role-playing game Shadowrun. Popularized by 1992 novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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"avatar." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 21 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Avatar>.
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avatar - Computer Definition
A graphic identity that users select to represent themselves in a chat, instant messaging (IM) or multiplayer gaming session. An avatar is generally a caricature, rather than a realistic photo, and can be anything from a simple cartoon to a bizarre fantasy figure. However, images of real objects are also used. The term is a Sanskrit word that means the incarnation of a god on earth, and this usage of the term came from the gaming and 3D chat worlds. See VRML.
Some Avatars
These are four examples from the AvatarDB website, which has more than 50,000 images arranged by category. People choose an avatar based on how they want others to see them. For more information, visit www.avatarsdb.com.
Computer Desktop Encyclopedia THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher. © 1981-2017 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved.
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avatar. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21st, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Avatar
Sentence Examples
- With Avatar being lauded by many for the stunning visual impact the film creates with lush world's and lifelike humanoids, the 3D aesthetic of the film benefited from the technology advancements it necessitated.
- While the plot of Avatar will be fodder for science fiction buffs for many years to come as will many of the film's images, some believe that the background of Avatar's creation is almost more interesting than the film.
- While some people fashion an avatar to actually look like they actually appear as individuals, others enjoy the experience of creating an avatar which does not actually have any physical resemblance to them whatsoever.
- Such features include the ability to create a virtual home, online shopping, the ability to participate in online games, as well as, of course, a virtual avatar chat room to chat with people all over the planet.
- They allege that the tenth Avatar has yet to occur and will be in the form of a white-winged horse (Kalki) who will destroy the earth.
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