handicap

From hand-in-cap, in reference to holding the game stakes in a cap.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhændikæp/

• Audio (RP)

  (file)

handicap (countable and uncountable, plural handicaps)

1. Something that prevents, hampers, or hinders.

   Age is often a handicap.

   • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314:

     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.

2. (sports) 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.

   The older boy won, even though his opponent had been granted a handicap of five meters.

   A handicap in chess often involves removal of the queen's rook.

   • 1901, “Gleanings”, in The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record‎, volume 4, number 1, page 31:

     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.

3. (sometimes considered offensive) The disadvantage itself, in particular physical or mental disadvantages of people.
4. 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.
5. (obsolete, uncountable, card games) An old card game, similar to lanterloo.
   • 1660, Samuel Pepys, Diary of Samuel Pepys‎, page 95:

     Here some of us fell to handicap, a sport that I never knew before, which was very good.

6. (obsolete, uncountable) Synonym of hand-in-cap (“old English trading game”)

• Benghazi Handicap

handicap (third-person singular simple present handicaps, present participle handicapping, simple past and past participle handicapped)

1. (transitive) To encumber with a handicap in any contest.
2. (transitive, figurative, by extension) To place at disadvantage.

   The candidate was handicapped by her lack of experience.

3. 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.

Borrowed from English handicap.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦɛn.diˌkɛp/

• Audio

  (file)

handicap m (plural handicaps, diminutive handicapje n)

1. disability
2. handicap, disadvantage
3. (sports, golf) handicap, measure of ability

Unadapted borrowing from English handicap.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhændikæp/, [ˈhændikæp]

handicap

1. (anglicism) handicap (allowance)

• tasoitus

Borrowed from English handicap.

• ^{(aspirated h)} IPA^(key): /ɑ̃.di.kap/

• Audio

  (file)

handicap m (plural handicaps)

1. handicap
2. disability

• handicapé

• “handicap”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Borrowed from English handicap.

• IPA^(key): /ˈan.di.kap/, /ˈɛn.di.kap/[1]
• Rhymes: -andikap, -ɛndikap
• Hyphenation: hàn‧di‧cap

handicap m (invariable)

1. handicap (disability; horserace)

Unadapted borrowing from English handicap.

handicap m (uncountable)

1. handicap, disadvantage
2. advantage

From English handicap or French handicap.

handicap n (plural handicapuri)

1. handicap

Borrowed from English handicap.

• IPA^(key): /andiˈkap/ [ãn̪.d̪iˈkap]
• Rhymes: -ap
• Syllabification: han‧di‧cap

handicap m (plural handicaps)

1. handicap