Physical, mental, or situational disadvantages that limit a person's abilities, or to put someone at a disadvantage.
Plural of handicap; from hand-i'-cap, referring to the hand holding the cap in the original bargaining game, later generalized to any disadvantaging condition.
The term's meaning shifted dramatically in the 20th century from just 'disadvantage in competition' to 'physical disability'—showing how language both reflects and shapes how society views different bodies and abilities.
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