Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Handicap |
HandicapNoun1. The condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness; "reading disability"; "hearing impairment". 2. Advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning. 3. Something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress. Verb1. Injure permanently; "He was disabled in a car accident". 2. Attempt to forecast the winner (esp. in a horse race) and assign odds for or against a contestant. 3. Put at a disadvantage; "The brace I have to wear is hindering my movements". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "handicap" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1888. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Literature | Handicap A game at cards not unlike loo, but with this difference - the winner of one trick has to put in a double stake, the winner of two tricks a triple stake, and so on. Thus: if six persons are playing, and the general stake is ls., and A gains three tricks, he gains 6s., and has to "hand i' the cap" or pool 3s. for the next deal. Suppose A gains two tricks and B one, then A gains 4s. and B 2s., and A has to stake 3s. and B 2s. for the next deal. "To the `Mitre Tavern' in Wood Street, a house of the greatest note in London. Here some of us fell to handicap, a sport I never knew before, which was very good." - Pepys: His Diary, Sept. 18th, 1680. Handicap, in racing, is the adjudging of various weights to horses differing in age, power, or speed, in order to place them all, as far as possible, on an equality. If two unequal players challenge each other at chess, the superior gives up a piece, and this is his handicap. So called from the ancient game referred to by Pepys. (See Sweepstakes, Plate-Race, etc.) The Winner's Handicap. The winning horses of previous races being pitted together in a race royal are first handicapped according to their respective merits: the horse that has won three races has to carry a greater weight than the horse that has won only two, and this latter more than its competitor who is winner of a single race only. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Medicine | Resulting from disability. Source: European Union. (references) |
| In the context of health experience, a handicap is a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or a disability, that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal(depending on age, sex, and social and cultural factors)for that individual(see also:< < impairment> > and < < disability> > )[VE1]. Source: European Union. (references) | |
| A handicap occurs as a result of disability, but disability does not always constitute a handicap. A handicap may be said to exist when a disability causes a substantial and continuing reduction in a person's capacity to function socially and vocationally. Handicap may also result from community prejudice and resistance thereby reducing opportunities to the disabled person's functioning. Source: European Union. (references) | |
Public Administration | A disadvantage for a given person, resulting from an impairment or a disability, that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is considered normal for that person; -WHO. Source: European Union. (references) |
Sports & Leisure | An advantage given a weaker contestant or a disadvantage imposed upon a stronger contestant in the form of points. . . in order to equalize chances of winning. Source: European Union. (references) |
Statistics | In some sequential sampling plans a handicapand a penalty are calculated and used in reaching a decision on a batch. Source: European Union. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
In an even game of Go, the board is empty, and the weaker player plays with black, and black moves first. In a handicap game, the weaker player also takes black, but has an appropriate number of stones on the board before play starts, and white will move first.On a 19 x 19 board their are nine handicap points marked on the board. In each corner on the (4,4) point. In the middle of each side on the fourth line, the (4,10) point. And the very center of the board, (10,10). Odd handicaps use the center stone, even handicaps do not. A handicap of two or three stones uses opposite corners. Four or more stones uses all four corners. Six or seven stones uses opposite sides. Eight or nine stones use all four sides.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Go handicap."
Synonyms: HandicapSynonyms: deterrent (n), disability (n), disablement (n), hindrance (n), impairment (n), impediment (n), disable (v), hamper (v), hinder (v), incapacitate (v), invalid (v). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Contention | Compe 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. |
Equality | Render equal; Adjective: equalize level, dress, balance, equate, handicap, give points, spot points, handicap, trim, adjust, poise; fit, accommodate; adapt; (render accordant); strike a balance; establish equality, restore equality, restore equilibrium; readjust; stretch on the bed of Procrustes. |
Hindrance | 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. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Handicap |
| English words defined with "handicap": blind man, blind person ♦ deaf person ♦ handicapped person, Handicapping ♦ To give points ♦ welterweight. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "handicap": actual score ♦ counselor, vocational rehabilitatio ♦ Disability Evaluation ♦ Employment Rehabilitation Centre, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SHELTERED WORKSHOP ♦ gross score ♦ home and school visitor ♦ RACING SECRETARY AND HANDICAPPER ♦ school adjustment counselor, SOCIAL WORKER, SCHOOL ♦ total score ♦ visiting teacher, VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COUNSELOR ♦ Weight-for-age Race. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Handicap" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Czech (handicap), French (crippling, disadvantage, encumbrance, handicap, liability), Italian (disadvantage, handicap), Romanian (handicap, hindrance, impost, penalty), Spanish (handicap), Swedish (penalty). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Frankly, you're beginning to smell and for a stud in New York, that's a handicap. (Midnight Cowboy; writing credit: Waldo Salt) | |
Clever | Stupidity is NOT a handicap! PARK ELSEWHERE! (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Handicap (1968) Hollywood Handicap (1938) Spring Handicap (1937) The Hollywood Handicap (1932) Old Age Handicap (1928) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Great American Handicap. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Oakland Race Track, Burns Handicap, 1907. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | The final of the americ. Handicap 25. Febr. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | This healthy, normal baby has a handicap : she was born female. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
 |
| "Handicap route sign" by Mantis Wong Commentary: "Street sign outside of a mall." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Contrary to common belief, however, cerebral palsy does not always cause profound handicap. (references) | |
Business | The only flight Air Afrique offers from Dakar to New York illustrates the handicap of developing an increased traffic between the U.S. and Cote d’Ivoire. (references) | |
The Swedish Handicap Institute, promotes research and development of equipment for the disabled, and is also responsible for the testing/ approval of technical aids to be used in Sweden. (references) | ||
Economic History | Zimbabwe | One handicap is an outdated machinery base. (references) |
Kenya | Liberalization of the economy and the foreign exchange regime in particular since 1993 removed that handicap. (references) | |
Argentina | U.S. firms handicap themselves if their product literature labels, manuals and other written materials are not written in Spanish. (references) | |
Political Economy | Singapore | The Government has wide powers to limit citizens' rights and to handicap political opposition. (references) |
Political Rights | Singapore | Nonetheless, the opposition continued to criticize what it describes as the long-ruling PAP's abuse of its incumbency advantages to extensively handicap opposition parties. (references) |
Travel | Chad | Electricity is expensive and unreliable, posing a serious handicap for commercial development, but improvements are underway as the energy sector is being privatized. (references) |
Worker Rights | Chile | Sanctions are increased in cases in which the victim is a minor; in which violence or intimidation is used; if deception or abuse of authority is involved; if the victim is related or under the tutelage of the perpetrator; if advantage is taken of a victim's circumstances or handicap; or if the action is of a recurring nature. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Harry S. Truman | 1945-1953 | Their poverty is a handicap and a threat both to them and to more prosperous areas. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Handicap" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 92.34% of the time. "Handicap" is used about 1,108 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 92.34% | 1,023 | 7,253 |
| Noun (proper) | 4.42% | 49 | 48,677 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 1.71% | 19 | 80,337 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 1.08% | 12 | 101,599 |
| Noun (common) | 0.45% | 5 | 157,705 |
| Total | 100.00% | 1,108 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expression using "handicap": handicap competition. Additional references. | |
| Hypenated Usage | |
Ending with "handicap": four-handicap, high-handicap, low-handicap, mental-handicap, single-handicap, three-handicap. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "handicap"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Afrikaans | belemmering (hindrance, impediment, obstacle). (various references) | |
Albanian | pengoj (arrest, baffle, balk, baulk, block, clog, cross, cumber, delay, detain, embarrass, encumber, estop, foil, forbid, frustrate, get in the way, hamper, hedge in, hinder, hobble, impede, inhibit, interfere, interfere with, interrupt, jam, keep away from, let, obstruct, occlude, oppose, preclude, prevent, prohibit, resist, set back, shut in, stumble, trammel, traverse, trouble), pengesë (balk, bar, barrier, baulk, block, boom, chock, clog, cramp, crash barrier, cumber, detention, difficulty, dike, disadvantage, drag, drawback, encumbrance, fetter, hedge, hindrance, hitch, hold up, holdback, hurdle, impediment, interference, interruption, jamming, liability, manacle, mash, obstacle, obstruction, preclusion, pullback, retardation, retardment, rub, setback, stay, stoppage, stumbling block, stumbling-stone, stunt, traverse, trip up), e metë (blemish, defect, deficit, demerit, disfigurement, failing, fault, feebleness, flaw, limitations, shortcoming, weakness), dizavantazh (drawback, penalty), defekt (blowing, defect, failing, fault, hole). (various references) | |
Arabic | سباق العدل التكافؤ, عاهة جسدية, عاق (baffle, balk, block, cramp, delay, derange, detain, deter, dirty, discourage, disloyal, disturb, embarrass, encumber, estop, hinder, hobble, hurt, impede, impious, interrupt, penalize, preclude, prevent, retard, set back, shackle, stifle, thankless, thwart, tie up, trammel, trap, undutiful, ungrateful, unthankful), عائق (balk, bar, barrier, clog, deterrent, difficulty, disadvantage, drag, embarrassment, encumbrance, fencing, hamper, hindrance, impediment, inconvenience, interference, jam, liability, morass, obstruction, obstructive, restraint, setback, shackle, stick, stumbling block, stymie, tie, trammel, traverse), إعاقة (hindering, hindrance, impediment, interruption, obstruction, prevention, retardation), أضر (harm), شكل عائقا, بشكل عائق. (various references) | |
Bulgarian | хандикап (odd, odds), недъг (affliction, ailment, infirmity, vice), налагам хандикап на, пречка (bit, block, blockage, check, clog, cross, difficulty, disadvantage, disqualification, embarrassment, encumbrance, hindrance, holdback, hurdle, impediment, kibosh, let, liability, manacle, obstacle, preclusion, pull back, remora, rub, setback, spoke, stay, stop, stumbling-stone, traverse), преча на (cross, fetter, impede, incommode, intercept, negative, obstruct, prevent, retard, shackle, trammel, weigh against), поставям в неудобно положение (queer). (various references) | |
Chinese | 障碍 (Barrier, Hassel, hassle, hurdle, hurdles, impediment). (various references) | |
Czech | hendikepovat, hendikep, handicapovat, handicap, znevýhodnit, tìlesnì postižený (handicapped), nevýhoda (disadvantage, inconvenience). (various references) | |
Danish | handicap(m.h.t.social rolle), handicap (disability), socialt handicap, konstant naturbedinget ulempe. (various references) | |
Dutch | hinderpaal (impediment, obstacle), hindernis (impediment, obstacle), handicap, voorgift, permanente natuurlijke belemmering, belemmering (hindrance, impediment, obstacle, obstruction). (various references) | |
Esperanto | malhelpaĵo (impediment, obstacle). (various references) | |
Farsi | مانع (Balk, Bar, Barricade, Brake, Crimp, Dike, Drawback, Embargo, Encumbrance, Hedge, Hinder, Hindrance, Hitch, Hurdle, Impediment, Let, Lock, Obstacle, Preventive, Repellent, Setback, Shackle, Snag, Stay), نقص (Blemish, Defect, Deficiency, Incompetence), امتیازدادن , امتیازبه طرف ضعیف دربازی , اوانس , اشکال (Difficulty, Disadvantage, Drawback, Impediment, Traverse). (various references) | |
Finnish | hyvitys (allowance, compensation, crediting, recompense), haitta (detriment, disadvantage, drawback, harm, injury, trouble), vamma (injury, lesion). (various references) | |
French | handicap. (various references) | |
German | behinderung (curb, disability, disablement, frustration, hindrance, impediment, obstruction, obstructiveness), behindern (bar, bother, clog, cramp, disturb, encumber, hamper, hedge about, hedge around, hedge in, hedge round, hinder, impede, inhibit, keep back, obstruct, prevent, set back, thwart, to spoil, trouble). (various references) | |
Greek | μειονέκτημα (demerit, disadvantage, drawback). (various references) | |
Hebrew | להוות מעצור. (various references) | |
Hungarian | hátrány (detriment, disadvantage, discommodity, disservice, drawback, inconvenience, penalty, snag), megterhelés (burden, charging, encumbrance, imposition, loading, strain), akadály (balk, bar, barrier, blockage, check, cumber, difficulty, drag, drawback, hang fire, hindrance, hitch, hobble, hurdle, impediment, leap, let, lion in the path, lion in the way, malfunction, objection, obstacle, obstruction, retardation, ring fence, snag, stumbling block, stumbling-block, stumbling-stone, throw back, trammel, traverse). (various references) | |
Indonesian | rintangan (encumberrance, impediment, obstacle), mencanggungkan (cause awkwardness), ganda (fold). (various references) | |
Italian | handicap (disadvantage). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 駒落ち , ハンセン病 (employee of a messenger or delivery service, Hamburg, Hamburg steak, hamburger, hammer, hammock, hand, hand carrier, hand lotion, handbag, hand-ball, handbook, handcart, Handelsblatt, handicraft, hand-knit, handle, handler, handlift, handling, handmade, handout, handshake, handwork, handy, handy mook, humble, hunt, hunter, hunter killer, hunting, hunting cap, Hunting World, leprosy, manual forklift, oscillatory behavior of a non-converging feedback loop, pallet jack, steering wheel), 不利益 (disadvantage, drawback, inadvisability, inexpediency), 不利 (disadvantage, drawback, unfavorable). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ハンディー (handy), ハンディキャップ , ハンディ (handy), ハンデ , ふりえき (disadvantage, drawback, inadvisability, inexpediency), ふり (appearance, disadvantage, drawback, inseparability, irrational, pretence, rainfall, show, snowfall, unfavorable, unreasonable), こまおち. (various references) | |
Korean | 신체장애. (various references) | |
Manx | lhiettrimys (bafflement, balk, balk hinderance, ban, bar, barobstruction, constriction, disqualification, drag, drawback, hang up, hazard, hindrance, hold up, impediment, injunction, jam, obstacle, prevention, sanction, victimization), cur lhiettrimys er (ban, block, circumscribe, disqualify, head off), bac (balk, disability, disqualification, drawback, moratorium, objection, obstacle, pull back, snag, stay, trap). (various references) | |
Norwegian | handikap. (various references) | |
Pig Latin | andicaphay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | desvantagem (abuse, disadvantage, drawback, fine, harm, penalty). (various references) | |
Romanian | handicapa (hamper, hinder), handicap (hindrance, impost, penalty). (various references) | |
Russian | гандикап. (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | hendikepirati, hendikep (disadvantage), smetnja (cumber, disturbance, drawback, encumbrance, hindrance, impediment, jam up, nuisance, perturbation, set back, setback). (various references) | |
Spanish | minusvalía, impedimento (deterrence, deterrent, disability, encumbrance, hindrance, impediment, obstacle, prevention, trammel), desventaja (damage, detriment, disadvantage, disadvantages, disservice, drawback, harm, liability, weakness). (various references) | |
Swedish | handikapp (disability). (various references) | |
Thai | เป็นอุปสรรคแก่, อุปสรรค (bar, hitch, rub, thorn), ความพิการ. (various references) | |
Turkish | handikap (allowance), yetersizlik (deficiency, disability, disablement, flimsiness, inability, inadequacy, incapability, incapacity, incompetence, inefficacy, insufficiency, littleness, paucity, poorness, poverty, scantiness, scantness, slenderness, slimness, spareness), mahzur (disability, inconvenience, objection, rub), ket vurmak, engel olmak (baffle, balk, be in smb.'s road, bind, blanket, clip one's wings, debar, encumber, estop, forbid, frustrate, hamper, hinder, intercept, interfere with, militate against, Nix, obstruct, oppose, prevent, prohibit, put a spoke in smb.'s wheel, put a stay on, put back, put off, scotch, shackle, thwart), engel koymak (hedge off), engel (balk, bar, barrage, barricade, barrier, baulk, block, check, clog, countercheck, counterwork, cramp, Crimp, dam, determent, difficulty, discouragement, disincentive, drag, drawback, encumbrance, entanglement, fence, hedge, hindrance, hobble, hold up, holdback, hurdle, impediment, interference, let, obstacle, obstruction, restraint, retardation, rub, shackles, slashing, snag, stay, stick, stop, stumbling block, supersedeas, tie, trammel), elverişsiz durum, özür (allegation, amends, apologetic, apologetical, apology, crack, defect, disablement, excuse, flaw, pardon, putoff, reparation, vice). (various references) | |
Ukrainian | фізичний недолік, гандикап (odds), зрівнювати умови, перешкоджати (baffle, balk, bar, barrier in, baulk, block, check, clog, counteract, cumber, debar, discourage, forbid, impede, inhibit, militate, prevent, set back, tie up, trammel), перешкода (back-set, baffle, balk, bar, barricade, barrier, block, bridle, check, clog, contrariety, countercheck, cramp, cumber, dike, disability, discouragement, drawback, dyke, encumbrance, hindrance, hitch, hold back, interference, leap, marplot, nuisance, obex, objection, obstacle, obstruction, obstructive, occlusor, preclusion, pullback, stop, trammels, traverse, wall). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | điều bất lợi. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "handicap": handicapped, handicapper, handicappers, handicapping, handicaps. (additional references) | |
Words containing "handicap": multihandicapped, nonhandicapped, unhandicapped. (additional references) | |
| |
"Handicap" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: andicap, Chandrika, Hamdija, hamilcar, Handciap, handiap, Handicam, handicapp, handicapt, handikap, handycap, Hanzira. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "handicap" (pronounced ha"ndēka'p) |
| 3 | -k a' p | hubcap, kneecap, madcap, recap, skycap. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-c-d-h-i-n-p" | |
-1 letter: daphnia. | |
-2 letters: painch. | |
-3 letters: aphid, apian, canid, chain, china, dacha, naiad, nicad, pacha, panda, panic, pinch. | |
-4 letters: acid, cadi, caid, cain, caph, chad, chap, chia, chid, chin, chip, hand, hind, inch, nada, nipa, paca, padi, paid, pain, pian, pica, pina. | |
-5 letters: aah, aha, aid, ain, ana, and, ani, cad, can, cap, chi, dah, dap, din. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-c-d-h-i-n-p" | |
+1 letter: handicaps. | |
+3 letters: diencephala, handicapped, handicapper. | |
+4 letters: cardinalship, handicappers, handicapping, quadraphonic. | |
+5 letters: anaphrodisiac, anaphylactoid, cardinalships, quadraphonics, unhandicapped. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Non-fiction 10. Quotations: Speeches 11. Usage Frequency 12. Expressions | 13. Expressions: Internet 14. Translations: Modern 15. Derivations 16. Rhymes | 17. Anagrams 18. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
