the act of losing or surrendering something as a penalty for a mistake or fault or failure to perform etc. | the act of punishing, or the infliction of a penalty |
a penalty for a fault or mistake that involves losing or giving up something | the disadvantage or painful consequences of an action or condition |
something that is lost or surrendered as a penalty | (games) a handicap or disadvantage that is imposed on a competitor (or a team) for an infraction of the rules of the game |
| a payment required for not fulfilling a contract |