Meaning of refer in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /rəˈfər/

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    UK accent

  1. Verb

    refer

    Etymology

    late Middle English: from Old French referer or Latin referre‘carry back’, from re-‘back’ + ferre‘bring’

    Definitions

    1. make reference to

    Examples

    • « His name was mentioned in connection with the invention »

    Derived terms

  2. 2. have to do with or be relevant to

    Examples

    • « There were lots of questions referring to her talk »
    • « My remark pertained to your earlier comments »

    Derived terms

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

    Examples

    • « This plant can be referred to a known species »

    Derived terms

  4. 4. send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision

    Examples

    • « refer a patient to a specialist »
    • « refer a bill to a committee »

    Derived terms

  5. 5. seek information from

    Examples

    • « You should consult the dictionary »
    • « refer to your notes »

    Derived terms

  6. 6. have as a meaning

    Examples

    • « 'multi-' denotes 'many' »

    Derived terms

Famous quotes

  • « I did frequently refer to my war record in World War II, but not in any flamboyant way. »
    George McGovern
  • « I travel a lot. If you look at my suitcase, everything is extremely well-packed and well-folded people who travel with me are impressed at how organized I am. Some would refer to me as a maniac for this. »
    Joel Robuchon
  • « Brits and Americans have hundreds of different phrases for the same thing. Luckily, it's usually a source of amusement rather than frustration. A flashlight by any other name is still a torch. My personal favourite is 'fairy lights,' which we boringly refer to as 'Christmas lights.' »
    Sloane Crosley
  • « It is a historical error for those who were not there to just refer to August 28th as 'I Have a Dream' speech day. That is a real disservice to those who were there. It was a sad day. It was not a celebration environment. »
    Jesse Jackson
  • « New ideas should confront old ideas. We must refer to the example of Europe. People have fought to make Europe what it is today. Freedom is not something that is served up on a plate. »
    Tahar Ben Jelloun

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