the act of referring or consulting; "reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer"
the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to; "the extension of `satellite of Mars' is the set containing only Demos and Phobos"
the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to; "he argued that reference is a consequence of conditioned reflexes"
a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to; "he carried an armful of references back to his desk"; "he spent hours looking for the source of that quotation"
the act of modifying or changing the strength of some idea; "his new position involves a qualification of his party's platform"
an attribute that must be met or complied with and that fits a person for something; "her qualifications for the job are excellent"; "one of the qualifications for admission is an academic degree"; "she has the makings of fine musician"