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ref
1[ ref ]
ref.
2abbreviation for
- referee.
- reference.
- referred.
- refining.
- reformation.
- reformed.
- refund.
- refunding.
ref.
1abbreviation for
- referee
- reference
ref
2/ rɛf /
noun
- informal.short for referee
Word History and Origins
Origin of ref1
Example Sentences
Afterward, Lasik.com posted a video of the missed interference call, along with a friendly reminder: “Obviously, we’re still offering NFL refs free LASIK.”
But by the time he left the court, flipping the ball to the ref in frustration after his sixth turnover, the party was over.
“Look, you can complain about the refs,” John Podhoretz, editor of conservative Commentary magazine, wrote on X. “But if the pass is incomplete, the play is dead.”
“Are you going to protect me tonight, ref?”
Asked after the game if she thought it was the appropriate call, Reese said: “It was a basketball play. I can’t control the refs. They affected the game obviously a lot tonight.”
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More About Ref
What does ref mean?
Ref is an informal and shortened way of referring to a referee, an official in a sporting event who enforces the rules of the game.
In sports, refs do things like call fouls and stop play when there has been a violation of the rules. Basketball, football, and soccer are examples of sports that used this kind of ref.
The word referee is also sometimes used to refer to a person who acts as a formal authority or arbitrator in some kind of decision, such as a legal case. Sometimes, the word refers to a person who’s responsible for reviewing scientific or academic papers or grant proposals. Referee can also be used in a figurative way to refer to someone who has to enforce the rules in some situation, as in I spent the afternoon playing referee to several toddlers.
Ref can be used as a shortened form of referee in these contexts, but it’s much less common than its use in sports.
Sometimes, the word is used as an informal way of addressing a referee, as in “Hey, Ref, good call!” said no one ever.
Like referee, ref can be used as a verb meaning to act as a referee, as in I signed up to ref my daughter’s soccer games.
Example: I’ve never understood why players argue with refs—have you ever seen one reverse their call?
Where does ref come from?
The first records of the word ref as a shortened form of referee come from the 1890s. Referee is a combination of the verb refer and the suffix -ee, which is used to form words from verbs to indicate a person who is the beneficiary of the verb. In this way, a referee is a person to whom a matter is referred, often in order to make a decision on it.
Refs are commonly associated with basketball, football, and soccer, but other sports have refs. In some sports, the referee is called an umpire, which is often shortened to the similarly informal ump.
Refs are supposed to be enforcers of the rules who do not favor either player or team. Being a ref is often seen as a thankless job since players and fans are known for arguing with their calls (which, yes, are sometimes terrible).
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to ref?
- referee (full, unabbreviated form)
What are some synonyms for ref?
What are some words that share a root or word element with ref?
What are some words that often get used in discussing ref?
How is ref used in real life?
Ref is most commonly used in the context of sports. It’s commonly used as both a noun and a verb.
VIDEO: USC AD Pat Haden runs to argue with refs after getting summoned by Steve Sarkisian http://t.co/GHq5FM8uiP pic.twitter.com/F9aDGid7Mj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2014
Ah yes, let’s blame it on the refs like we do every time we play badly https://t.co/5rR3Sdbg7E
— Josh Dishman (@joshdishman14) January 4, 2021
I just finished reffing my last game. I have decided to step away from officiating. Lots of feels about it. #DerbyTwitter
— Tex (@ItsLilTex) August 18, 2019
Try using ref!
Is ref used correctly in the following sentence?
I hate having to act as a ref when my friends are in an argument—I wish they could just sort it out themselves.
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