refer
to direct for information or anything required: He referred me to books on astrology.
to direct the attention or thoughts of: The asterisk refers the reader to a footnote.
to hand over or submit for information, consideration, treatment, assistance, decision, etc.: They were forced to refer the argument to arbitration.The doctor will decide whether to carry out blood tests in the office or to refer the patient to a hospital.
to recommend: My electrician went above and beyond, and I would definitely refer her to a friend.
to assign to a class, period, etc.; regard as belonging or related: Animals referred to the phylum Platyhelminthes are also known as flatworms due to their flattened bodies.
refer to,
to have recourse or resort to; turn to, as for aid or information: I can't remember the answer offhand, so I'll have to refer to my notes.
to mention; speak briefly of: The author referred to his teachers twice in the article.
to relate to; apply to; mean or denote: The term “contingency fee” refers to an arrangement where legal fees are due to the attorney only if the case is successful.
to direct attention to, as a reference mark does: Each number refers to an endnote.
Origin of refer
1Other words for refer
Other words from refer
- ref·er·a·ble, re·fer·ra·ble, re·fer·ri·ble [ref-er-uh-buhl, ri-fur-], /ˈrɛf ər ə bəl, rɪˈfɜr-/, adjective
- re·fer·rer, noun
- mis·re·fer, verb, mis·re·ferred, mis·re·fer·ring.
- pre·re·fer, verb (used with object), pre·re·ferred, pre·re·fer·ring.
- un·re·ferred, adjective
- well-re·ferred, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use refer in a sentence
She said Wright, whom the girl refers to as the shorthand “J,” also sensed that the heat was on.
On social media, Madusa refers to her fans as pink warriors.
The Moms of Monster Jam Drive Trucks, Buck Macho Culture | Eliza Krigman | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe name of the film refers to a story of an old man who watched and recorded the movements of the stars for 25 years.
Not all hospices will agree to facilitate self-dehydration, so Schwarz refers patients to those that will.
The Nurse Coaching People Through Death by Starvation | Nick Tabor | November 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOnion routers refers to the TOR network, a system that allows users to mask their location and communicate anonymously online.
ISIS Keeps Getting Better at Dodging U.S. Spies | Shane Harris, Noah Shachtman | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The percentage of reserves to deposits, which marks the safety line for England, refers to the items in the banking department.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur Phillips“Boom” refers, of course, to the large amount of support which Cleveland obtained on his second election to the Presidency.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)The following extract from the "Australasian" entitled, "Tobacco Smoking" refers to many literary smokers.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.The statement refers to the order in which the duties, among which stands the exercise of vowing, should be performed.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John CunninghamDensity of population refers to the average number of people per square mile in a state.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. Torpey
British Dictionary definitions for refer
/ (rɪˈfɜː) /
(intr) to make mention (of)
(tr) to direct the attention of (someone) for information, facts, etc: the reader is referred to Chomsky, 1965
(intr) to seek information (from): I referred to a dictionary of English usage; he referred to his notes
(intr) to be relevant (to); pertain or relate (to): this song refers to an incident in the Civil War
(tr) to assign or attribute: Cromwell referred his victories to God
(tr) to hand over for consideration, reconsideration, or decision: to refer a complaint to another department
(tr) to hand back to the originator as unacceptable or unusable
(tr) British to fail (a student) in an examination
(tr) British to send back (a thesis) to a student for improvement
refer to drawer a request by a bank that the payee consult the drawer concerning a cheque payable by that bank (usually because the drawer has insufficient funds in his account), payment being suspended in the meantime
(tr) to direct (a patient) for treatment to another doctor, usually a specialist
(tr) social welfare to direct (a client) to another agency or professional for a service
Origin of refer
1usage For refer
Derived forms of refer
- referable (ˈrɛfərəbəl) or referrable (rɪˈfɜːrəbəl), adjective
- referral, noun
- referrer, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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