n.
Pronunciation: ' a-v ə - ˌ tär
Function: noun
Etymology: Sanskrit avat ā ra ḥ descent, from avatarati he descends, from ava- away + tarati he crosses over ― more at UKASE , THROUGH
Date: 1784
1 : the incarnation of a Hindu deity (as Vishnu)
2 a : an incarnation in human form b : an embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person
3 : a variant phase or version of a continuing basic entity
4 : an electronic image that represents and is manipulated by a computer user (as in a computer game or an online shopping site)