refer

[ri-fur] /rɪˈfɜr/
verb (used with object), referred, referring.
1.
to direct for information or anything required:
He referred me to books on astrology.
2.
to direct the attention or thoughts of:
The asterisk refers the reader to a footnote.
3.
to hand over or submit for information, consideration, decision, etc.:
to refer the argument to arbitration.
4.
to assign to a class, period, etc.; regard as belonging or related.
5.
to have relation; relate; apply.
verb (used without object), referred, referring.
6.
to direct attention, as a reference mark does.
7.
to have recourse or resort; turn, as for aid or information:
to refer to one's notes.
8.
to make reference or allusion:
The author referred to his teachers twice in his article.
Origin
1325-75; Middle English referren < Latin referre to bring back, equivalent to re- re- + ferre to bring, bear1
Related forms
referable, referrable, referrible
[ref-er-uh-buh l, ri-fur-] /ˈrɛf ər ə bəl, rɪˈfɜr-/ (Show IPA), adjective
referrer, noun
misrefer, verb, misreferred, misreferring.
prerefer, verb (used with object), prereferred, prereferring.
unreferred, adjective
well-referred, adjective
Synonyms
4. attribute, ascribe, impute. 5. pertain, belong. 8. advert, allude.
Examples from the web for refer
  • As an option, print and copy these paragraphs so students can refer to the information on their own papers.
  • They need to learn how to cite, how to refer, how to use quotation marks for direct quotations as opposed to indirect ones.
  • The simple fact that he used the present tense to refer to a species synonymous with extinction short-circuited my ears.
  • In this case, there is a factual history to refer to, namely the tapes of the original interview.
  • Please refer to the previous link to check out a calendar of regularly-scheduled activities at the museum.
  • Please refer to the important notices including that in relation to composite performance, and the certain risk factors herein.
  • The sample you refer to and the implication that arises from the limits of the sample are only a part of a larger picture.
  • Such corridors refer to land that utilities can use to run pipelines, transmission cables and other energy-related structures.
  • Then they refer to the appropriate bilingual dictionaries and grammar guides.
  • The article should but does not refer to some or any research which supports the hypothesizing.
British Dictionary definitions for refer

refer

/rɪˈfɜː/
verb (often foll by to) -fers, -ferring, -ferred
1.
(intransitive) to make mention (of)
2.
(transitive) to direct the attention of (someone) for information, facts, etc: the reader is referred to Chomsky, 1965
3.
(intransitive) to seek information (from): I referred to a dictionary of English usage, he referred to his notes
4.
(intransitive) to be relevant (to); pertain or relate (to): this song refers to an incident in the Civil War
5.
(transitive) to assign or attribute: Cromwell referred his victories to God
6.
(transitive) to hand over for consideration, reconsideration, or decision: to refer a complaint to another department
7.
(transitive) to hand back to the originator as unacceptable or unusable
8.
(transitive) (Brit) to fail (a student) in an examination
9.
(transitive) (Brit) to send back (a thesis) to a student for improvement
10.
refer to drawer, a request by a bank that the payee consult the drawer concerning a cheque payable by that bank (usually because the drawer has insufficient funds in his account), payment being suspended in the meantime
11.
(transitive) to direct (a patient) for treatment to another doctor, usually a specialist
12.
(transitive) (social welfare) to direct (a client) to another agency or professional for a service
Derived Forms
referable (ˈrɛfərəbəl), referrable (rɪˈfɜːrəbəl) adjective
referral, noun
referrer, noun
Usage note
The common practice of adding back to refer is tautologous, since this meaning is already contained in the re- of refer: this refers to (not back to) what has already been said. However, when refer is used in the sense of passing a document or question for further consideration to the person from whom it was received, it may be appropriate to say he referred the matter back
Word Origin
C14: from Latin referre to carry back, from re- + ferre to bear1
Word Origin and History for refer
v.

late 14c., "to trace back (to a first cause), attribute, assign," from Old French referer (14c.) and directly from Latin referre "to relate, refer," literally "to carry back," from re- "back" (see re-) + ferre "carry" (see infer). Meaning "to commit to some authority for a decision" is from mid-15c.; sense of "to direct (someone) to a book, etc." is from c.1600. Related: Referred; referring.

Slang definitions & phrases for refer

reefer 3

noun

A front-page paragraph referring to a story on an inside page: The Times ran a reefer with the new term for ''change of mind'' subtly noted/ The Timeses of New York or LA could produce front pages of refers, meaning concise summaries that resemble the tops of articles (1990s+ Newspaper office)