Definition of "handicap"

handicap

/ˈhændikæp/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural handicaps
1. Something that prevents, hampers, or hinders.
  Quotations
  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
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.
  Quotations
  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
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.
  Quotations
  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
6. (obsolete, uncountable) Synonym of hand-in-cap (“old English trading game”)
verb
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.
3. To estimate betting odds.