Nearby Words
noun
1.
2.
the disadvantage or advantage itself.
3.
any disadvantage that makes success more difficult: The main handicap of our business is lack of capital.
4.
a physical or mental disability making participation in certain of the usual activities of daily living more difficult.
verb (used with object)
5.
to place at a disadvantage; disable or burden: He was handicapped by his injured ankle.
6.
to subject to a disadvantageous handicap, as a competitor of recognized superiority.
7.
to assign handicaps to (competitors).
8.
Sports.
a.
to attempt to predict the winner of (a contest, especially a horse race), as by comparing past performances of the contestants.
b.
to assign odds for or against (any particular contestant) to win a contest or series of contests: He handicapped the Yankees at 2-to-1 to take the series from the Cardinals.
:10
:09
:08
:07
:06
:05
:04
:03
:02
:01
Handicapping
is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
Origin:
1640–50; 1870–75 for def. 8; orig. hand i' cap hand in cap, referring to a drawing before a horse race
1640–50; 1870–75 for def. 8; orig. hand i' cap hand in cap, referring to a drawing before a horse race
Related forms
non·hand·i·cap, noun
o·ver·hand·i·cap, verb (used with object), -capped, -cap·ping.
pre·hand·i·cap, noun, verb (used with object), -capped, -cap·ping.
Synonyms
5. hinder, impede, cripple, incapacitate.
5. hinder, impede, cripple, incapacitate.
Antonyms
5. aid, assist, help.
5. aid, assist, help.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To handicapping
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
handicap
c.1653, from hand in cap, a game whereby two bettors would engage a neutral umpire to determine the odds in an unequal contest. The bettors would put their hands holding forfeit money into a hat or cap. The umpire would announce the odds and the bettors would withdraw their hands -- hands full meaning
EXPANDthat they accepted the odds and the bet was on, hands empty meaning they did not accept the bet and were willing to forfeit the money. If one forfeited, then the money went to the other. If both agreed on either forfeiting or going ahead with the wager, then the umpire kept the money as payment. The custom, though not the name, is attested from 14c. Reference to horse racing is 1754 (Handy-Cap Match), where the umpire decrees the superior horse should carry extra weight as a "handicap;" this led to sense of "encumbrance, disability" first recorded 1890. The verb sense of "equalize chances of competitors" is first recorded 1852, but is implied in the horse-race sense. Meaning "put at a disadvantage" is 1864. The main modern sense, "disability," is the last to develop; handicapped (adj.) is 1915.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
handicap hand·i·cap (hān'dē-kāp')
n.
A physical, mental, or emotional condition that interferes with one's normal functioning.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Matching Quote
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.