a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty
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"
(computer science) a program that translates and executes source language statements one line at a time
someone who mediates between speakers of different languages
someone who uses art to represent something; "his paintings reveal a sensitive interpreter of nature"; "she was famous as an interpreter of Shakespearean roles"
the spatial property of the position from which something is observed
a mental position from which things are viewed; "we should consider this problem from the viewpoint of the Russians"; "teaching history gave him a special point of view toward current events"
any quality or characteristic that gains a person a favorable reception or acceptance or admission; "her pleasant personality is already a recommendation"; "his wealth was not a passport into the exclusive circles of society"
something (as a course of action) that is recommended as advisable
something that recommends (or expresses commendation) of a person or thing as worthy or desirable
a detailed plan or explanation to guide you in setting standards or determining a course of action; "the president said he had a road map for normalizing relations with Vietnam"
think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another; "This plant can be referred to a known species"
send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision; "refer a patient to a specialist"; "refer a bill to a committee"
have to do with or be relevant to; "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments"