'Handicap' definitions:
Definition of 'handicap'
From: WordNet
noun
The condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness; "reading disability"; "hearing impairment" [syn: disability, disablement, handicap, impairment]
noun
Advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning
noun
Something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress [syn: hindrance, hinderance, deterrent, impediment, balk, baulk, check, handicap]
verb
Injure permanently; "He was disabled in a car accident" [syn: disable, invalid, incapacitate, handicap]
verb
Attempt to forecast the winner (especially in a horse race) and assign odds for or against a contestant
verb
Definition of 'Handicap'
From: GCIDE
- Handicap \Hand"i*cap\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Handicapped (-k[a^]pt); p. pr. & vb. n. Handicapping.] To encumber with a handicap in any contest; hence, in general, to place at disadvantage; as, the candidate was heavily handicapped. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'handicap'
From: GCIDE
- handicap \hand"i*cap\ (h[a^]n"d[i^]*k[a^]p), n. [From hand in cap; -- perh. in reference to an old mode of settling a bargain by taking pieces of money from a cap.]
- 1. 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. [1913 Webster]
- 2. 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. [1913 Webster]
- 3. An old game at cards. [Obs.] --Pepys. [1913 Webster]
- 4. 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. [PJC]
- 5. any disadvantage that makes an activity more difficult or impossible; as, insufficient capital was a big handicap in competing against Microsoft. [PJC]
Synonyms of 'handicap'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abnormality,
- acute disease,
- affection,
- affliction,
- ailment,
- allergic disease,
- allergy,
- allowance,
- atrophy,
- bacterial disease,
- bale,
- bar,
- barrier,
- bear hard upon,
- birth defect,
- blight,
- block,
- bulge,
- burden,
- burdening,
- burthen,
- cardiovascular disease,
- cargo,
- charge,
- charging,
- chase,
- check,
- chronic disease,
- circulatory disease,
- complaint,
- complication,
- condition,
- congenital defect,
- constraint,
- cramp,
- cripple,
- cross,
- cumber,
- cumbrance,
- curb,
- damage,
- deadweight,
- deadwood,
- defect,
- deficiency disease,
- deformity,
- degenerative disease,
- Derby,
- detriment,
- difficulty,
- disability,
- disable,
- disadvantage,
- disease,
- disorder,
- distemper,
- drag,
- drawback,
- edge,
- embarrass,
- embarrassment,
- encumber,
- encumbrance,
- endemic,
- endemic disease,
- endocrine disease,
- enmesh,
- ensnarl,
- entangle,
- entoil,
- entrammel,
- entrap,
- entwine,
- epidemic disease,
- fetter,
- flat race,
- freight,
- functional disease,
- fungus disease,
- gastrointestinal disease,
- genetic disease,
- hamper,
- hamstring,
- handicap race,
- harm,
- harness race,
- head start,
- hereditary disease,
- hinder,
- hindrance,
- hobble,
- horse race,
- hurdle race,
- hurt,
- iatrogenic disease,
- illness,
- impairment,
- impede,
- impediment,
- impedimenta,
- imposition,
- inconvenience,
- incubus,
- incumbency,
- indisposition,
- infectious disease,
- infirmity,
- injury,
- involve,
- Kentucky Derby,
- lade,
- lading,
- lame,
- liability,
- lime,
- limit,
- limitation,
- load,
- loading,
- loss,
- loss of ground,
- lumber,
- malady,
- malaise,
- millstone,
- mischief,
- morbidity,
- morbus,
- muscular disease,
- net,
- neurological disease,
- nutritional disease,
- obstacle,
- occupational disease,
- odds,
- onus,
- oppress,
- oppression,
- organic disease,
- overburden,
- overhand,
- overload,
- overtax,
- overtaxing,
- overweight,
- overweighting,
- pack,
- pandemic disease,
- pathological condition,
- pathology,
- penalize,
- penalty,
- plant disease,
- plate race,
- Preakness Stakes,
- prejudice,
- press down,
- press hard upon,
- pressure,
- protozoan disease,
- psychosomatic disease,
- punish,
- purse race,
- quarter-horse race,
- respiratory disease,
- rest hard upon,
- restrain,
- restraint,
- restrict,
- restriction,
- rockiness,
- saddle,
- saddle with,
- saddling,
- secondary disease,
- seediness,
- shackle,
- sickishness,
- sickness,
- signs,
- snarl,
- stake,
- stake race,
- start,
- steeplechase,
- step backward,
- stumbling block,
- superincumbency,
- surcharge,
- sweep,
- sweepstake,
- sweepstakes,
- symptomatology,
- symptomology,
- symptoms,
- syndrome,
- tangle,
- tax,
- taxing,
- the pip,
- toil,
- trammel,
- trotting race,
- trouble,
- urogenital disease,
- vantage,
- virus disease,
- wasting disease,
- weigh down,
- weigh heavy on,
- weigh on,
- weigh upon,
- weight,
- white elephant,
- worm disease