handicap en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈhændikæp/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From hand-in-cap, in reference to holding the game stakes in a cap.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) Something that prevents, hampers, or hinders.
Age is often a handicap.
Captain Edward Carlisle[…]felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze,[…]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.
1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
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(countable, uncountable) 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.
Eventually the elephant and camel were depatched by themselves with two laps start of the bicyclist and horse, the motor car being scratch. It was a sensational race owing to the conduct of the field, but on the handicap the elephant won, bicycle second, motor car third.
1901, “Gleanings”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record, volume 4, number 1, page 31:A handicap in chess often involves removal of the queen's rook.
The older boy won, even though his opponent had been granted a handicap of five meters.
- (countable, qualifier:sometimes considered offensive, uncountable) An individual's physical or mental disadvantage or disability.
- (countable, uncountable) A race or similar contest in which there is an allowance of time, distance, weight, or other advantage, to equalize the chances of the competitors.
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(obsolete, uncountable) An old card game, similar to lanterloo.
Here some of us fell to handicap, a sport that I never knew before, which was very good.
1660, Samuel Pepys, Diary of Samuel Pepys, page 95:
- (obsolete, uncountable) Synonym of hand-in-cap (“old English trading game”).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| handicaps | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
handicap principle · re-handicap · handicamp · overhandicap · handicapper · handiphobia · handicapism · Benghazi Handicap · nonhandicap · handicappable · handicapitalism · polyhandicap · prehandicap · self-handicap · rehandicap
Synonyms
Translations (62)
eo handikapo (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · de Vorsprung (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · ja 障害 (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · nl handicap (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · pl upośledzenie (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · de Behinderung (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · ru уве́чье (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · ta ஊனம் (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · pl niepełnosprawność (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · pt vantagem (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · mi tohurehe (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · tr engel (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · ja ハンディキャップ (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · ru гандика́п (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · fi haitta (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · ja ハンデ (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · is forgjöf (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · fi tasoituskilpailu (race) · fi tasoitus (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · uk фо́ра (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · bg пречка (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · he מִקְדָּם (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · es hándicap (race) · lb Behënnerung (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · ml വൈകല്യം (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · ru недоста́ток (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · fa فرجه (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · es hándicap (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · hu fogyatékosság (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · is fötlun (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · da handikap (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · eo handikapo (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · pl fory (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · bg спънка (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · fa آوانس (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · es obstáculo (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · th แต้มต่อ (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · hi विकलांगता (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · tr özür (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · pt obstáculo (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · sk hendikep (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · bg недъг (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · ja ハンデ (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · ko 장애 (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · cmn 障礙 /障碍 (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · es ventaja (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · es minusvalía (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · es hándicap (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · fr handicap (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · fi vamma (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · bg ава́нс (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · uk гандика́п (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · es ventaje (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · ru фо́ра (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · ja ハンディキャップ (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · sv försprång (in a competition, allowance granted or hindrance imposed) · bcl kaninan (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · mi hauātanga (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · hi बाधा (something that prevents, hampers, or hinders) · es discapacidad (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · pt deficiência (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people) · la impedimentum (disadvantage, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people)