reference

I. noun Date: 1589 1. the act of referring or consulting 2. a bearing on a matter ; relation <

in reference to your recent letter

> 3. something that refers: as a. allusion, mention b. something (as a sign or indication) that refers a reader or consulter to another source of information (as a book or passage) c. consultation of sources of information 4. one referred to or consulted: as a. a person to whom inquiries as to character or ability can be made b. a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with the person c. (1) a source of information (as a book or passage) to which a reader or consulter is referred (2) a work (as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or information d. denotation, meaning II. adjective Date: 1856 used or usable for reference; especially constituting a standard for measuring or constructing III. transitive verb (-enced; -encing) Date: 1891 1. a. to supply with references b. to cite in or as a reference 2. to put in a form (as a table) adapted to easy reference