- reference
- ref•er•ence[[t]ˈrɛf ər əns, ˈrɛf rəns[/t]] n. v. -enced, -enc•ing1) an act or instance of referring2) a mention; allusion3) something for which a name or designation stands; denotation4)a) a direction of the attention, as in a book, to some other book, passage, etcb) the book, passage, etc., to which one is directed5) cvbreference mark6) use or recourse for purposes of information:a library for public reference[/ex]7) a book or other source of useful facts or information8)a) a person to whom one refers for testimony as to another's character, abilities, etcb) a statement regarding a person's character, abilities, etc9) regard or connection; relation:without reference to age[/ex]10) to furnish with references11) to mention in or as a reference12) to arrange for easy reference•Etymology: 1580–90
From formal English to slang. 2014.