ref

R1E1F4
US/ɹɛf/

verb

To referee; to act as a referee in a sport or game.

Similar
referee
CommonScrabble 6
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Meanings

ref1

nounref (plural refs)

plural refs

  1. abbreviationclippinginformalClipping of referee.
  2. abbreviationAbbreviation of reference.
  3. abbreviationclippingClipping of refsheet.
  4. abbreviationAbbreviation of refectory.
  5. PhilippinesabbreviationclippinginformalClipping of refrigerator.

    Please close the ref.

    Please close the refrigerator.

verbref (third-person singular simple present refs, present participle reffing, simple past and past participle reffed)

present singular third person refs · participle present reffing · participle past reffed · past reffed

  1. ambitransitiveinformalTo referee; to act as a referee in a sport or game.

    On the block when we were growing up we called him Ronnie the Enforcer because he umped all the stickball games and reffed the hockey.

    1982, Stephen King, Survivor Type

REF2

nounREF (plural REFs)

plural REFs

  1. abbreviationinitialismlinear algebraInitialism of row echelon form.
proper noun
  1. UKabbreviationinitialismeducationInitialism of Research Excellence Framework: a system for assessing the quality of research in higher-education institutions.

Ref3

proper nounRef (plural Refs)

plural Refs

  1. A surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

noun(sports) the chief official (as in boxing or American football) who is expected to ensure fair play

Similar
referee
Broader
official
Also see
referee

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Clippings.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with ref

fdefefchefdeafGeoffeffRAFNeffStephnefStefclefhefteffAMWFcf.D/deafenfeofffeoffrephWMAF
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

rephreph

Anagrams

fererf
Cite this entry
APA

ref. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ref

MLA

“ref.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ref. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ref,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ref.

Source: ref on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.