Avatars - Animated computer characters meant to represent a virtual person

Avatars - Animated computer characters meant to represent a virtual person. That they invariably display human-like behaviour perhaps betrays the origin of the term - a Hindu bodily manifestation of an Immortal, or the Ultimate, Being. Widespread use of the term has diluted its meaning over time, with avatar being used to describe anything from character images as personal identifiers on forums and chat rooms to the talking head-type representations used on some web sites as a way of presenting verbal messages.