avacara: 'sphere', realm. The 3 spheres of existence are: the sensuous sphere (kāmāvacara ), the fine-material sphere (rūpāvacara), the immaterial sphere (arūpāvacara). "Which things are of the sensuous sphere (kāmāvacara )? Whatever things exist within the interval bounded beneath by the Avīci-hell and above by the Paranimmitavasavatti-heaven (s. deva), having therein their sphere, and being therein included, to wit: the groups of existence, the elements, bases (s. khandha, dhātu, āyatana), corporeality, feeling, perception, mental formations and consciousness, all these things are of the sensuous sphere. - But which things are of the fine material sphere (rūpāvacara)? Whatever things exist within the interval bounded beneath by the Brahma-world and above by the Akaṇiṭṭha-world (s. deva), having therein their sphere, and being therein included ... and also consciousness and mental factors in one who has entered the (fine-material) absorptions, or who has been reborn in that sphere, or who already during his life-time is living in happiness (of the absorptions), all these things are of the fine-material sphere. - Which things are of the immaterial sphere (arūpāvacara)? Consciousness and mental factors arising within the interval bounded beneath by the beings reborn in the sphere of unbounded space and above by the beings reborn in the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception (s. jhāna 5-8), and consciousness and mental factors in one who has entered the (immaterial absorptions), or who has been reborn in that sphere, or who already during his lifetime is living in happiness (of the immaterial absorptions), all these things are of the immaterial sphere." (Cf. Dhs. 1280, 1282, 1284; Vibh. XVIII). (App.).

Buddhist Dictionary, Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, by NYANATILOKA MAHATHERA

Avacara ( -- ˚) (n. -- adj.) [ava + car, also BSk. avacara in same sense, e.g. antaḥpurâvacarā the inmates of the harem Jtm 210] (a) (adj.) living in or with, moving in D i.206 (santika˚ one who stays near, a companion); fig. dealing or familiar with, at home in A ii.189 (atakka˚); iv.314 (parisā˚); J i.60 (tāḷa˚ one conversant with music, a musician, see tāḷa1); ii.95 (sangāma˚); Miln 44 (id. and yoga˚). -- (b) (n.) sphere (of moving or activity), realm, plane (of temporal existence); only as t.t in kāmâvacara rupâvacara arūpâvacara or the 3 realms of sense -- desires, form and non -- form: kāma˚ D i.34 (˚deva); Dhs 431 (as adj.); rūpa˚ Pug 37; arūpa˚ Pug 38; Ps i.83, 84, 101; Dhs A 387; PvA 138, 163; to be omitted in Dhs 1268, 1278.

Pali-English Dictionary, TW Rhys Davids, William Stede,

ava-cara m. the dominion or sphere or department of (in comp. kāmâvacara, dhyānâv○, &c.) Buddh. (cf. tālâvacara and yajñâvacará.)

Sanskrit-English Dictionary, by M. Monier William

rtog ge'i spyod yul ma lags pa

[tenses]

• spyad
• spyod
• spyad
• spyod

[translation-san] {C} avacara

[translation-eng] {Hopkins} does not [belong to] the realm of argumentation

[translation-eng] {C} inaccessible to discursive thought

Jeffrey Hopkins' Tibetan-Sanskrit-English Dictionary