"handicap" in the noun sense
1. disability, disablement, handicap, impairment
the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness
"reading disability"
"hearing impairment"
2. handicap
advantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning
3. hindrance, hinderance, deterrent, impediment, balk, baulk, check, handicap
something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress
"handicap" in the verb sense
1. disable, invalid, incapacitate, handicap
injure permanently
"He was disabled in a car accident"
2. handicap
attempt to forecast the winner (especially in a horse race) and assign odds for or against a contestant
3. handicap, hinder, hamper
put at a disadvantage
"The brace I have to wear is hindering my movements"
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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