ETYM Skr. avatâra descent; ava from + root tar to cross, pass over.
The manifestation of a Hindu deity (especially Vishnu) in human or superhuman or animal form.
Incarnation of deity, especially Hindu; manifestation; deification.
In Hindu mythology, the descent of a deity to Earth in a visible form, for example the ten avatars of Vishnu.

In virtual-reality environments such as certain types of Internet chat rooms, a graphical representation of a user. An avatar typically is a generic picture or animation of a human of either gender, a photograph or caricature of the user, a picture or animation of an animal, or an object chosen by the user to depict his or her virtual-reality “identity.” See superuser.