First Known Use: 1754
Dictionary
1handicap
noun hand·i·cap \ˈhan-di-ˌkap, -dē-\
Definition of HANDICAP
1
a : a race or contest in which an artificial advantage is given or disadvantage imposed on a contestant to equalize chances of winning b : an advantage given or disadvantage imposed usually in the form of points, strokes, weight to be carried, or distance from the target or goal
2
a : a disadvantage that makes achievement unusually difficult b sometimes offensive : a physical disability
See handicap defined for English-language learners
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Origin of HANDICAP
obsolete English handicap, a game in which forfeit money was held in a cap, from hand in cap
Related to HANDICAP
- Synonyms
- debit, disbenefit, downside, drawback, disadvantage, incommodity, liability, minus, negative, strike
Rhymes with HANDICAP
afterclap, baseball cap, beat the rap, blasting cap, body wrap, booby trap, contour map, cradle cap, gangsta rap, giddyap, gimme cap, gingersnap, inky cap, medigap, on the map, overlap, photomap, rattletrap, relief map, service cap, shoulder strap, spinal tap, stocking cap, thinking cap, thunderclap, Tonle Sap, tourist trap, water gap, weather map, wentletrap
2handicap
verb
: to make success or progress difficult for (someone)
: to make a judgment about the likely winner of a race or contest
handicappedhandicap·ping
Full Definition of HANDICAP
transitive verb
1
a : to give a handicap to b : to assess the relative winning chances of (contestants) or the likely winner of (a contest)
2
: to put at a disadvantage
See handicap defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of HANDICAP
1852
HANDICAP Defined for Kids
1handicap
noun hand·i·cap \ˈhan-di-ˌkap\
Definition of HANDICAP for Kids
1
: a disadvantage that makes progress or success difficult <Shyness is a handicap for a salesman.>
2
: a contest in which someone more skilled is given a disadvantage and someone less skilled is given an advantage
3
: the disadvantage or advantage given in a contest
Word History of HANDICAP
Handicap, probably short for “hand in cap,” was originally a sort of game in which two people would try to trade things of unequal value. A third person would be appointed as umpire to set an extra amount that would even out the value of the items. Some money would then be put in a cap, and the traders would signal agreement or disagreement with the bargain by putting their hands in the cap and taking them out full or empty. Later, horse races were arranged by such rules, with the umpire deciding how much extra weight the better horse should carry. The word handicap was eventually extended to other contests, and also came to mean the advantage or disadvantage given to a contestant.
2handicap
verb
hand·i·cappedhand·i·cap·ping
Definition of HANDICAP for Kids
: to put at a disadvantage
Medical Dictionary
handicap
noun hand·i·cap \ˈhan-di-ˌkap\
Medical Definition of HANDICAP
1
: a disadvantage that makes achievement unusually difficult
2
sometimes offensive : a physical disability
Learn More About HANDICAP
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