handicap

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: hand=i=cap

CIDE DICTIONARY

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

•  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]
•  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]
•  An old game at cards.  Pepys.  [1913 Webster]
•  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]
•  any disadvantage that makes an activity more difficult or impossible; as, insufficient capital was a big handicap in competing against Microsoft.  [PJC]

handicap, v. t. 

 To encumber with a handicap in any contest; hence, in general, to place at disadvantage; as, the candidate was heavily handicapped.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

handicap, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a disadvantage imposed on a superior competitor in order to make the chances more equal. b a race or contest in which this is imposed.
2 the number of strokes by which a golfer normally exceeds par for the course.
3 a thing that makes progress or success difficult.
4 a physical or mental disability.
--v.tr. (handicapped, handicapping)
1 impose a handicap on.
2 place (a person) at a disadvantage.

Derivative

handicapper n.

Etymology

prob. from the phrase hand i' (= in) cap describing a kind of sporting lottery

THESAURUS

handicap

Derby, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, 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, 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, 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, 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

ROGET THESAURUS

handicap

Equality

VB be equal, equal, match, reach, keep pace with, run abreast, come to, amount to, come up to, be on a level with, lie on a level with, balance, cope with, come to the same thing, render equal, equalize level, dress, balance, equate, handicap, give points, spot points, handicap, trim, adjust, poise, fit, accommodate, adapt, strike a balance, establish equality, restore equality, restore equilibrium, readjust, stretch on the bed of Procrustes, be equal, equal, match, reach, keep pace with, run abreast, come to, amount to, come up to, be on a level with, lie on a level with, balance, cope with, come to the same thing, render equal, equalize level, dress, balance, equate, handicap, give points, spot points, handicap, trim, adjust, poise, fit, accommodate, adapt, strike a balance, establish equality, restore equality, restore equilibrium, readjust, stretch on the bed of Procrustes.

Hindrance

VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.

Contention

N contention, strife, contest, contestation, struggle, belligerency, opposition, controversy, polemics, debate, war of words, logomachy, litigation, paper war, high words, sparring, competition, rivalry, corrivalry, corrivalship, agonism, concours, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap, regatta, field day, sham fight, Derby day, turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy, gymkhana, boat race, torpids, wrestling, greco-roman wrestling, pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense, spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting, quarterstaff, single stick, gladiatorship, gymnastics, jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti, sumo, athletics, athletic sports, games of skill, shindy, fracas, clash of arms, tussle, scuffle, broil, fray, affray, affrayment, velitation, colluctation, luctation, brabble, brigue, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash, bushfighting, free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight, conflict, skirmish, rencounter, encounter, rencontre, collision, affair, brush, fight, battle, battle royal, combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament, tilt, tilting, tournay, list, pitched battle, death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon, hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war, naval engagement, naumachia, sea fight, duel, duello, single combat, monomachy, satisfaction, passage d'armes, passage of arms, affair of honor, triangular duel, hostile meeting, digladiation, deeds of arms, feats of arms, appeal to arms, pugnacity, combativeness, bone of contention, contending, together by the ears, at loggerheads, at war, at issue, competitive, rival, belligerent, contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful, warlike, quarrelsome, pugnacious, pugilistic, gladiatorial, palestric, palestrical, a verbis ad verbera, a word and a blow, a very pretty quarrel as it stands, commune periculum concordiam parit, lis litem generat.