avatar

[ av-uh-tahr, av-uh-tahr ]

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,. 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.

avatar

/ 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

avatar

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

Notes

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of avatar¹

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 ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of avatar¹

C18: from Sanskrit avatāra a going down, from avatarati he descends, from ava down + tarati he passes over

Example Sentences

Despite his status as an avatar of corrupt politicians, Santos sees the controversy around Trump's picks as "the swamp" closing ranks.

From Salon

“The best avatar for a voter writ large is a woman in a swing state who didn’t go to college,” says pollster Evan Roth Smith, from Blueprint, a Democratic public opinion research company.

From BBC

Ultimately, the documentary humanizes someone often viewed as an avatar of unattainable perfection.

From Los Angeles Times

I think Trump is the problem, but he's also just fascism's current American avatar, so he's not the end of the problem.

From Salon

As I argue in the book, they also serve as avatars of the far right.

From Salon

Related Words

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