definition of
reference

[1] #1 reference n. [mention] 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". wn

[2] #2 reference n. [citation, cite, acknowledgment, credit, mention, quotation] 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. wn

[3] #3 reference n. [reference point, point of reference] an indicator that orients you generally; "it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved". wn

[4] #4 reference n. [reference book, reference work, book of facts] a book to which you can refer for authoritative facts; "he contributed articles to the basic reference work on that topic". wn

[5] #5 reference n. [character, character reference] 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". wn