What does handicap mean?

Definitions for handicap
ˈhæn diˌkæphand·i·cap

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word handicap.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. disability, disablement, handicap, impairmentnoun

    the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness

    "reading disability"; "hearing impairment"

  2. handicapnoun

    advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning

  3. hindrance, hinderance, deterrent, impediment, balk, baulk, check, handicapverb

    something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress

  4. disable, invalid, incapacitate, handicapverb

    injure permanently

    "He was disabled in a car accident"

  5. handicapverb

    attempt to forecast the winner (especially in a horse race) and assign odds for or against a contestant

  6. handicap, hinder, hamperverb

    put at a disadvantage

    "The brace I have to wear is hindering my movements"

GCIDE

  1. handicapnoun

    a physical or mental disability of the body which makes normal human activities more difficult or impossible; as, his deformed leg was a major handicap in walking.

  2. handicapnoun

    any disadvantage that makes an activity more difficult or impossible; as, insufficient capital was a big handicap in competing against Microsoft.

Wiktionary

  1. handicapnoun

    An allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting, granted in a race (or other contest of skill) to the competitor possessing disadvantages; or an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of success.

  2. handicapnoun

    The disadvantage itself, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people.

  3. handicapnoun

    A race, for horses or men, or any contest of agility, strength, or skill, in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors.

  4. handicapnoun

    An old game at cards. - Pepys

  5. handicapverb

    To encumber with a handicap in any contest.

  6. handicapverb

    To place at disadvantage.

    The candidate was heavily handicapped.

  7. handicapverb

    To estimate betting odds.

    Grandpa Andy would buy the racing form the day ahead of time so he could handicap the race before he even arrived at the track.

  8. Etymology: From hand in cap, in reference to holding the game stakes in a cap.

ChatGPT

  1. handicap

    A handicap is a condition or situation that makes progress, success, or achievement difficult, often referring to a physical or mental disadvantage or disability that restricts a person's abilities in certain areas. In sports and games, it refers to an advantage or disadvantage imposed on a participant or team for the purpose of equalizing chances of winning.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Handicapnoun

    an allowance of a certain amount of time or distance in starting, granted in a race to the competitor possessing inferior advantages; or an additional weight or other hindrance imposed upon the one possessing superior advantages, in order to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of success; as, the handicap was five seconds, or ten pounds, and the like

  2. Handicapnoun

    a race, for horses or men, or any contest of agility, strength, or skill, in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors

  3. Handicapnoun

    an old game at cards

  4. Handicapverb

    to encumber with a handicap in any contest; hence, in general, to place at disadvantage; as, the candidate was heavily handicapped

  5. Etymology: [From hand in cap; -- perh. in reference to an old mode of settling a bargain by taking pieces of money from a cap.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Handicap

    hand′i-kap, v.t. to impose special disadvantages or impediments upon in order to offset advantages, and make a better contest—in a horse-race the superior horse carries a heavier weight, while foot-runners are placed at different distances, or start at different times: (fig.) to place at a disadvantage by some burden or disability.—n. any contest so adjusted, or the condition imposed.—n. Hand′icapper, one who handicaps. [Hand in the cap, from the usage in an ancient kind of sport and method of settling a bargain by arbitration.]

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'handicap' in Nouns Frequency: #2340

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce handicap?

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of handicap in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of handicap in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of handicap in a Sentence

  1. Temple Grandin:

    Mild autism can provide some intellectual advantages and severe autism is a great handicap, if all the autism traits were removed, we would lose many creative minds in music, art, math and science.

  2. Jacques Martin Barzun:

    Since it is seldom clear whether intellectual activity denotes a superior mode of being or a vital deficiency, opinion swings between considering intellect a privilege and seeing it as a handicap.

  3. Philippe Bianchi:

    If he were to have severe handicaps, we are convinced that is not at all what Jules would want, we talked about it. He told us that if one day he had an accident like Michael Schumacher's, even if his only handicap was not being able to drive, he would have a lot of difficulty living with it. Because it was his life.

  4. Steven Edmondson:

    To make it easy, you can sign up to affiliate with a golf club for handicap purposes, if someone doesn't want to belong to a traditional club, which the younger generation really doesn't, they still play at a club or clubs close by and those clubs have a reasonable chance of knowing that player and their ability.

  5. Temple Grandin:

    There is no black and white dividing line between mild autistic traits and having a label of autism, and geeks and nerds in Silicon Valley, mild autism can provide some intellectual advantages and severe autism is a great handicap.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

handicap#10000#12951#100000

Translations for handicap

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"handicap." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 Nov. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/handicap>.

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    the transparent covering of an aircraft cockpit
    A canopy
    B arborolatry
    C abandon
    D pluck

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