Library / English Dictionary

REFER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: referred    , referring   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another

Example:

This plant can be referred to a known species

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "refer" is one way to...):

assort; class; classify; separate; sort; sort out (arrange or order by classes or categories)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

reference (the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Seek information from

Example:

refer to your notes

Synonyms:

consult; look up; refer

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "refer" is one way to...):

research (attempt to find out in a systematically and scientific manner)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

reference (a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts)

reference (a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Have as a meaning

Example:

'multi-' denotes 'many'

Synonyms:

denote; refer

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "refer" is one way to...):

intend; mean; signify; stand for (denote or connote)

Verb group:

denote (be a sign or indication of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "refer"):

convolute; pervert; sophisticate; twist; twist around (practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive)

euphemise; euphemize (refer to something with a euphemism)

come back; hark back; recall; return (go back to something earlier)

identify; name (give the name or identifying characteristics of; refer to by name or some other identifying characteristic property)

apply (refer (a word or name) to a person or thing)

slur (speak disparagingly of; e.g., make a racial slur)

express; state (indicate through a symbol, formula, etc.)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

reference (the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to)

reference (the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make reference to

Example:

His name was mentioned in connection with the invention

Synonyms:

advert; bring up; cite; mention; name; refer

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "refer" is one way to...):

have in mind; mean; think of (intend to refer to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "refer"):

cross-refer (refer from one entry to another, as in catalogues, books, and lists)

drag up; dredge up (mention something unpleasant from the past)

bring up; raise (put forward for consideration or discussion)

namedrop (refer to people that one assumes one's interlocutors admire in order to try to impress them)

appeal; invoke (cite as an authority; resort to)

touch on (refer to or discuss briefly)

cite; quote (refer to for illustration or proof)

remember (mention favorably, as in prayer)

speak of the devil (mention someone's name who just then appears)

commend; remember (mention as by way of greeting or to indicate friendship)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

reference (a remark that calls attention to something or someone)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Use a name to designate

Example:

Christians refer to the mother of Jesus as the Virgin Mary

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "refer" is one way to...):

be known as; call; know as; name (assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision

Example:

refer a bill to a committee

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "refer" is one way to...):

direct; send (cause to go somewhere)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "refer"):

submit (refer for judgment or consideration)

recommit (send back to a committee)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

referee ((sports) the chief official (as in boxing or American football) who is expected to ensure fair play)

referee (someone who reads manuscripts and judges their suitability for publication)

reference (the act of referring or consulting)

referral (the act of referring (as forwarding an applicant for employment or referring a matter to an appropriate agency))

Sense 7

Meaning:

Be relevant to

Example:

My remark pertained to your earlier comments

Synonyms:

bear on; come to; concern; have to do with; pertain; refer; relate; touch; touch on

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Verb group:

advert; allude; touch (make a more or less disguised reference to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "refer"):

center; center on; concentrate on; focus on; revolve about; revolve around (center upon)

apply; go for; hold (be pertinent or relevant or applicable)

affect; involve; regard (connect closely and often incriminatingly)

interest; matter to (be of importance or consequence)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

reference (the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to)

Credits

 Context examples: 

We never refer to it; so I said nothing, and we went home to dinner.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

This gentleman, Mr. Staunton’s friend, was referred to me by Scotland Yard.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He referred to the young fellow whose place he had usurped that day.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

During my long and intimate acquaintance with Mr. Sherlock Holmes I had never heard him refer to his relations, and hardly ever to his own early life.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A term referring to acute myeloid leukemias with rearrangement of the MLL gene which results in translocations with various genes other than the MLLT3 (AF9) gene.

(Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Variant MLL Translocations, NCI Thesaurus)

It can also refer to the way it is given, the dose, or how often it is given.

(Administration, NCI Dictionary)

A point in time referring to microbiology specimen data.

(Microbiology Specimen Timepoint, NCI Thesaurus)

A characteristic that refers to the physical and organoleptic state of a microbiology specimen.

(Microbiology Specimen Condition, NCI Thesaurus)

Refers to a tumor that has spread to anatomic sites away from the original site of growth or has reappeared in any anatomic site.

(Metastatic/Recurrent, NCI Thesaurus)

A point in time referring to microbiology susceptibility data.

(Microbiology Susceptibility Timepoint, NCI Thesaurus)