reference

Noun

• the relation between a word or phrase and the object or idea it refers to
  • he argued that reference is a consequence of conditioned reflexes
    

• (computer science) the code that identifies where a piece of information is stored

• a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to
  • he carried an armful of references back to his desk
    
  • he spent hours looking for the source of that quotation
    

• the act of referring or consulting
  • reference to an encyclopedia produced the answer
    

• the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to
  • the extension of `satellite of Mars' is the set containing only Demos and Phobos
    

• a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability
  • requests for character references are all too often answered evasively
    

• a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts
  • he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic
    

• an indicator that orients you generally
  • it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved
    

• a short note recognizing a source of information or of a quoted passage
  • the student's essay failed to list several important citations
    
  • the acknowledgments are usually printed at the front of a book
    
  • the article includes mention of similar clinical cases
    

• a remark that calls attention to something or someone
  • she made frequent mention of her promotion
    
  • there was no mention of it
    
  • the speaker made several references to his wife
    

Verb

• refer to
  • he referenced his colleagues' work
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  address , computer address , source , consultation , denotation , extension , character , character reference , reference book , reference work , book of facts , reference point , point of reference , citation , cite , acknowledgment , credit , mention , quotation