reference
Other forms: references; referenced; referencing
If you are writing a report for school, you are probably relying on a few references, or sources, for information. Or, if you are applying for a job, you may count on a reference from a previous boss to help you get the job.
Good references are sometimes necessary to either get a job or to get a job done well. A reference is someone you can rely on to put in a good word for you when applying for a job. Or, a reference might be an outside source you use in a research paper. Don't forget: if you reference outside work, be sure to mention it in your bibliography or "list of references" so you don't get accused of plagiarism. Give credit where it's due.
Definitions of reference
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the act of referring or consulting“reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer”
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synonyms:
consultation
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type of:
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action
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
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action
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an indicator that orients you generally“it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved”
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synonyms:
point of reference, reference point
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types:
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bench mark, benchmark
a surveyor's mark on a permanent object of predetermined position and elevation used as a reference point
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landmark
a mark showing the boundary of a piece of land
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lubber line, lubber's line, lubber's mark, lubber's point
a fixed line on a ship's compass indicating its heading
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mark, target
a reference point to shoot at
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white line
a white stripe in the middle of a road to mark traffic lanes
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buoy
bright-colored; a float attached by rope to the seabed to mark channels in a harbor or underwater hazards
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mearstone, meerestone, merestone
an old term for a landmark that consisted of a pile of stones surmounted by an upright slab
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clout
a target used in archery
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drogue
a funnel-shaped device towed as a target by an airplane
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acoustic buoy
a buoy that can be heard (at night)
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can, can buoy
a buoy with a round bottom and conical top
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conical buoy, nun, nun buoy
a buoy resembling a cone
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spar buoy
a buoy resembling a vertical log
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type of:
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indicator
a signal for attracting attention
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a remark that calls attention to something or someone“the speaker made several references to his wife”
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synonyms:
mention
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types:
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allusion
passing reference or indirect mention
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retrospection
reference to things past
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name-dropping
the practice of casually mentioning important people in order to impress your listener
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allusion
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(computer science) the code that identifies where a piece of information is stored
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synonyms:
address, computer address
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types:
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argument, parameter
(computer science) a reference or value that is passed to a function, procedure, subroutine, command, or program
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URL, uniform resource locator, universal resource locator
the address of a web page on the world wide web
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type of:
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code, computer code
(computer science) the symbolic arrangement of data or instructions in a computer program or the set of such instructions
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argument, parameter
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a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts“he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic”
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synonyms:
book of facts, reference book, reference work
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types:
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cookbook, cookery book
a book of recipes and cooking directions
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instruction book
a book of directions for using or operating some piece of equipment
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source book
a collection of historically important documents published together as a book
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wordbook
a reference book containing words (usually with their meanings)
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enchiridion, handbook, vade mecum
a concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location
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directory
an alphabetical list of names and addresses
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annual, yearbook, yearly
a reference book that is published regularly once every year
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atlas, book of maps, map collection
a collection of maps in book form
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cyclopaedia, cyclopedia, encyclopaedia, encyclopedia
a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty
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dictionary, lexicon
a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words with information about them
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onomasticon
a list of proper nouns naming persons or places
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vocabulary
a listing of the words used in some enterprise
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gloss, glossary
an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge; usually published as an appendix to a text on that field
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synonym finder, thesaurus
a book containing a classified list of synonyms
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manual
a small handbook
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bible
a book regarded as authoritative in its field
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guide, guidebook
something that offers basic information or instruction
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ready reckoner, reckoner
a handbook of tables used to facilitate computation
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phone book, phonebook, telephone book, telephone directory
a directory containing an alphabetical list of telephone subscribers and their telephone numbers
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almanac
an annual publication containing tabular information in a particular field or fields arranged according to the calendar of a given year
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almanac, farmer's calendar
an annual publication including weather forecasts and other miscellaneous information arranged according to the calendar of a given year
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ephemeris
an annual publication containing astronomical tables that give the positions of the celestial bodies throughout the year
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dialect atlas, linguistic atlas
an atlas showing the distribution of distinctive linguistic features
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book of knowledge
an elementary encyclopedia dealing with general knowledge
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blue book
a register of persons who are socially prominent
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type of:
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book
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
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a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to“he carried an armful of references back to his desk”
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synonyms:
source
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type of:
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publication
a copy of a printed work offered for distribution
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publication
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a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage
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types:
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photo credit
a note acknowledging the source of a published photograph
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cross-index, cross-reference
a reference at one place in a work to information at another place in the same work
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type of:
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annotation, notation, note
a comment or instruction (usually added)
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photo credit
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refer to
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a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability
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synonyms:
character, character reference
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type of:
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good word, recommendation, testimonial
something that recommends (or expresses commendation of) a person or thing as worthy or desirable
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good word, recommendation, testimonial
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the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to
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the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to
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synonyms:
denotation, extension
Pronunciation
US
/ˈrɛfərəns/
UK
/ˈrɛfrəns/
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Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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