Avatar

[J'Pol]

What is an avatar. What does the word really mean.

Answer in 10 words or less please.

[DataMore]

The meaning of Avatar

Longman's dictionary defines avatar as follows:

Avatar: (n)

1) Incarnation of Vishnu, a Hindu deity;

2) An embodiment of a concept or philosophy


The Oxford dictionary tells us that avatar can mean:

1) Descent of a deity to earth in an incarnate form (i.e., as in "the fifth avatar appeared as a dwarf")

2) A manifestation or presentation to the world (i.e., the avatar of mathematics)

3) A display

4) A phase


Webster's Dictionary also calls an avatar:

1) A manifestation or embodiment of a person, concept or philosophy.

2) A variant phase or version of a continuing basic entity.



So in 10 words it should be something like this:

Small picture that has nothing to do with a forum.

[uNz[i]]

AVATAR

An artificial representation of somebody/thing/deity.

also...

A piccy used by a person who wants to appear more interesting than they actually ARE.