Collins English-English Dictionary

reference ['rεfərəns]

1. 1. prep [business] with reference to re

   reference your letter of the 9th inst

2. 2. n the act or an instance of referring

3. 3. n something referred, esp proceedings submitted to a referee in law

4. 4. n a direction of the attention to a passage elsewhere or to another book, document, etc

5. 5. n a book or passage referred to

6. 6. n a mention or allusion

   this book contains several references to the Civil War

7. 7. n

8. 8. n [philosophy] the relation between a word, phrase, or symbol and the object or idea to which it refers

9. 9. n the object referred to by an expression - Compare sense

10. 10. n

11. 11. n a source of information or facts

12. 12. n (as modifier)

    a reference book

    a reference library

13. 13. n a written testimonial regarding one's character or capabilities

14. 14. n a person referred to for such a testimonial

15. 15. n

16. 16. n [foll by to] relation or delimitation, esp to or by membership of a specific class or group; respect or regard

    all people, without reference to sex or age

17. 17. n (as modifier)

    a reference group

18. 18. vt. [tr] to furnish or compile a list of references for (an academic thesis, publication, etc)

19. 19. vt. to make a reference to; refer to

    he referenced Chomsky, 1956