1chiefly Hinduism a manifestation of a deity or released soul in bodily form on earth; an incarnate divine teacher.
an incarnation, embodiment, or manifestation of a person or idea:he chose John Stuart Mill as the avatar of the liberal view
2an icon or figure representing a particular person in a computer game, Internet forum, etc.:conversation is depicted in a balloon over the avatar’s head
Origin:
from Sanskrit avatāra 'descent', from ava 'down' + tar- 'to cross'
