REFER
refer
(verb) think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another; “This plant can be referred to a known species”
consult, refer, look up
(verb) seek information from; “You should consult the dictionary”; “refer to your notes”
denote, refer
(verb) have as a meaning; “‘multi-’ denotes ‘many’ ”
mention, advert, bring up, cite, name, refer
(verb) make reference to; “His name was mentioned in connection with the invention”
refer
(verb) use a name to designate; “Christians refer to the mother of Jesus as the Virgin Mary”
refer
(verb) send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision; “refer a patient to a specialist”; “refer a bill to a committee”
refer, pertain, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have to do with
(verb) be relevant to; “There were lots of questions referring to her talk”; “My remark pertained to your earlier comments”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
refer (third-person singular simple present refers, present participle referring, simple past and past participle referred)
(transitive) To direct the attention of.
(transitive) To submit to (another person or group) for consideration; to send or direct elsewhere.
(transitive) To place in or under by a mental or rational process; to assign to, as a class, a cause, source, a motive, reason, or ground of explanation.
(intransitive, construed with to) To allude to, make a reference or allusion to.
(grammar) To be referential to another element in a sentence.
(computing) To address a specific location in computer memory.
(education) Required to resit an examination.
Synonyms
• delegate
• direct
Anagrams
• Ferre, Freer, Frere, freer
Source: Wiktionary
Re*fer" (r*fr"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Referred (-frd); p. pr. & vb. n.
Referring.] Etym: [F. référer, L. referre; pref. re- re- + ferre to
bear. See Bear to carry.]
1. To carry or send back. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. Hence: To send or direct away; to send or direct elsewhere, as for
treatment, aid, infirmation, decision, etc.; to make over, or pass
over, to another; as, to refer a student to an author; to refer a
beggar to an officer; to refer a bill to a committee; a court refers
a matter of fact to a commissioner for investigation, or refers a
question of law to a superior tribunal.
3. To place in or under by a mental or rational process; to assign
to, as a class, a cause, source, a motive, reason, or ground of
explanation; as, he referred the phenomena to electrical
disturbances. To refer one's self, to have recourse; to betake one's
self; to make application; to appeal. [Obs.]
I'll refer me to all things sense. Shak.
Re*fer", v. i.
1. To have recourse; to apply; to appeal; to betake one's self; as,
to refer to a dictionary.
In suits . . . it is to refer to some friend of trust. Bacon.
2. To have relation or reference; to relate; to point; as, the figure
refers to a footnote.
Of those places that refer to the shutting and opening the abyss, I
take notice of that in Job. Bp. Burnet.
3. To carry the mind or throught; to direct attention; as, the
preacher referrd to the late election.
4. To direct inquiry for information or a quarantes of any kind, as
in respect to one's integrity, capacity, pecuniary ability, and the
like; as, I referred to his employer for the truth of his story.
Syn.
– To allude; advert; suggest; appeal. Refer, Allude, Advert. We
refer to a thing by specifically and distinctly introducing it into
our discourse. We allude to it by introducing it indirectly or
indefinitely, as by something collaterally allied to it. We advert to
it by turning off somewhat abruptly to consider it more at large.
Thus, Macaulay refers to the early condition of England at the
opening of his history; he alludes to these statements from time to
time; and adverts, in the progress of his work, to various
circumstances of pecullar interest, on which for a time he dwells.
"But to do good is . . . that that Solomon chiefly refers to in the
text." Sharp. "This, I doubt not, was that artificial structure here
alluded to." T. Burnet.
Now to the universal whole advert: The earth regard as of that whole
a part. Blackmore.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition