Sentence:  The people are pieces of software called <WSD>avatars</WSD>. They are the audiovisual bodies that people use to communicate with each other in the Metaverse. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A digital representation of a person or being; often, it can take on any of various forms, as a participant chooses. e.g. 3D, animated, photo, sketch of a person or a person's alter ego, sometimes used in a virtual world or virtual chat room.