ref

UK: rɛf | US: rɛf

Definition

  1. n. (informal) Short for "referee," an official who oversees sports games to enforce rules.

  2. n. (computing) Short for "reference," a pointer or link to data or memory.

Structure
ref <shortened form of "referee" or "reference">
Etymology

"Ref" is a clipped form of two distinct words:

  1. Referee: Originates from Latin referre ("to bring back, report"), via Old French referer. The shortened "ref" emerged in sports slang (late 19th century).
  2. Reference: Also from Latin referre, but the clipped "ref" gained traction in computing (mid-20th century) to denote pointers or citations.
    The truncation reflects English's tendency to abbreviate frequently used terms, especially in technical or informal contexts.
Examples

  1. The ref blew the whistle to stop the game.

  2. She argued with the ref over the penalty call.

  3. In programming, a ref points to a memory address.

  4. Always check the ref before citing a source.

  5. The coach criticized the ref's decision.