references

Noun

reference (countable and uncountable, plural references)

1. (archaic, literary) A relationship or relation (to something).
   • A man is beloued of a man, in that he is a man, but all theſe are farre more eminent and great, when they ſhal proceed from a ſanctified ſpirit, that hath a true touch of Religion, and a reference to God.1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Charity, compoſed of all three kindes, Pleaſant, Profitable, Honeſt”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […]...
2. A measurement one can compare (some other measurement) to.
3. Information about a person, provided by someone (a referee) with whom they are well acquainted.
   • Changes will befall, and friends may part, / But distance only cannot change the heart / And were I call’d to prove th’ assertion true, / One proof should serve—a reference to you.a. 1800, William Cowper, “An Epistle to Joseph Hill, Esq.”, in The Task, Tirocinium, and Other Poems, page 180
4. (US, especially) A person who provides this information; a referee.
5. (attributive, often) A reference work.
   • reference grammar
6. The act of referring: a submitting for information or decision.

See all 16 meanings of reference