Handicap  —n. 1 physical or mental disability. 2 thing that makes progress or success difficult. 3 a disadvantage imposed on a superior competitor to make chances more equal. B race etc. In which this is imposed. 4 number of strokes by which a golfer normally exceeds par for a course. —v. (-pp-) 1 impose a handicap on. 2 place at a disadvantage. [hand i' (= in) cap describing a kind of sporting lottery]