handicap
/ˈhændikæp/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.61 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Age is often a handicap."
- "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."
- "The older boy won, even though his opponent had been granted a handicap of five meters."
- "A handicap in chess often involves removal of the queen's rook."
- "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."
- "Here some of us fell to handicap, a sport that I never knew before, which was very good."