Refer

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Refer \Re*fer"\, v. i.
     1. To have recourse; to apply; to appeal; to betake one's
        self; as, to refer to a dictionary.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              In suits . . . it is to refer to some friend of


              trust.                                --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To have relation or reference; to relate; to point; as,
        the figure refers to a footnote.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Of those places that refer to the shutting and
              opening the abyss, I take notice of that in Job.
                                                    --Bp. Burnet.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. To carry the mind or thought; to direct attention; as, the
        preacher referred to the late election.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. To direct inquiry for information or a guarantee 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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Syn: To allude; advert; suggest; appeal.
  
     Usage: {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
            peculiar 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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  Now to the universal whole advert:
                  The earth regard as of that whole a part.
                                                    --Blackmore.
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Refer \Re*fer"\ (r[-e]*f[~e]r"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Referred}
     (r[-e]*f[~e]rd"); p. pr. & vb. n. {Referring}.] [F.
     r['e]f['e]rer, L. referre; pref. re- re- + ferre to bear. See
     {Bear} to carry.]
     1. To carry or send back. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence: To send or direct away; to send or direct
        elsewhere, as for treatment, aid, information, 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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {To refer one's self}, to have recourse; to betake one's
        self; to make application; to appeal. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              I'll refer me to all things sense.    --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  refer
       v 1: make reference to; "His name was mentioned in connection
            with the invention" [syn: {mention}, {advert}, {bring up},
             {cite}, {name}]
       2: have to do with or be relevant to; "There were lots of
          questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to
          your earlier comments" [syn: {pertain}, {relate}, {concern},
           {come to}, {bear on}, {touch}, {touch on}]
       3: 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"
       4: send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision;
          "refer a patient to a specialist"; "refer a bill to a
          committee"
       5: seek information from; "You should consult the dictionary";
          "refer to your notes" [syn: {consult}, {look up}]
       6: have as a meaning; "`multi-' denotes `many' " [syn: {denote}]
       [also: {referring}, {referred}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  203 Moby Thesaurus words for "refer":
     account for, accredit, accredit with, accrete to, acknowledge,
     address to, advert, advert to, advise, advise with, affect, allude,
     allude to, answer to, appeal to, appertain to, apply, apply to,
     argue, ascribe to, ask, assign, assign to, attach to, attribute,
     attribute to, bargain, be construed as, be taken as, bear on,
     bear upon, belong to, bespeak, betoken, blame, blame for, blame on,
     blurt, blurt out, breathe, bring home to, bring into play,
     bring to attention, bring to notice, bring up, call attention to,
     call in, charge, charge on, charge to, check, cite, collogue,
     comment, commit, commune, compare notes, concern, confer,
     confer with, confess, connect, connect with, connote, consult,
     consult with, convert to use, correspond to, counsel, credit,
     credit with, cross-refer, cross-reference, deal with, deliberate,
     denominate, denote, designate, direct, direct attention to,
     direct to, discuss, discuss with, emblematize, enlist into service,
     exchange observations, exchange views, exclaim, fall back upon,
     fasten upon, father upon, figure, finger, fix on, fix upon,
     focus on, glance, go, hand in, hand over, hang on,
     have connection with, have conversations, have recourse to,
     hold conference, imply, import, impress, impute, impute to,
     indicate, inquire of, insert, instance, interest, interject,
     interpolate, introduce, invoke, involve, lay, lay to, let drop,
     let fall, liaise with, link with, look at, look to,
     make a cross-reference, make reference to, mean, mention, muse,
     name, negotiate, note, observe, opine, palaver, parley, pass on,
     pass over, pertain to, pick out, pin on, pinpoint, place upon,
     point at, point out, point to, powwow, put heads together,
     put in requisition, quote, reason with, recur, recur to, refer to,
     reference, reflect, regard, relate to, remark, repair, resort to,
     respect, revert to, run, saddle on, saddle with, say, select, send,
     set down to, settle upon, signify, sit down together,
     sit down with, speak, specify, spell, stand for, stigmatize, study,
     suggest, symbol, symbolize, take counsel, take note of, take to,
     take up with, talk over, talk to, tie in with, touch, touch on,
     touch upon, treat of, turn, turn to, turn to use, typify, use