ref
1 Americannoun
abbreviation
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referee.
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reference.
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referred.
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refining.
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reformation.
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reformed.
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refund.
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refunding.
abbreviation
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referee
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reference
noun
Usage
What does ref mean? Ref is an informal and shortened way of referring to a referee, an official in a sporting event who enforces the rules of the game.In sports, refs do things like call fouls and stop play when there has been a violation of the rules. Basketball, football, and soccer are examples of sports that used this kind of ref.The word referee is also sometimes used to refer to a person who acts as a formal authority or arbitrator in some kind of decision, such as a legal case. Sometimes, the word refers to a person who’s responsible for reviewing scientific or academic papers or grant proposals. Referee can also be used in a figurative way to refer to someone who has to enforce the rules in some situation, as in I spent the afternoon playing referee to several toddlers.Ref can be used as a shortened form of referee in these contexts, but it’s much less common than its use in sports.Sometimes, the word is used as an informal way of addressing a referee, as in “Hey, Ref, good call!” said no one ever. Like referee, ref can be used as a verb meaning to act as a referee, as in I signed up to ref my daughter’s soccer games. Example: I’ve never understood why players argue with refs—have you ever seen one reverse their call?
Etymology
Origin of ref
First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Obviously, I should have waited for the ref to blow his whistle.
From BBC
"The refs are the worst... These guys are lawyers. They want to be on TV too," said Puka Nacua, star receiver of the Los Angeles Rams, in December.
From Barron's
Caroline: City fan but well done ref, about time they started to stand up to VAR.
From BBC
Embarrassing from the ref and embarrassing from VAR,
From BBC
As soon as the ref goes to the screen we all know how it's going to pan out.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
