ref
1 Americannoun
abbreviation
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referee.
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reference.
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referred.
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refining.
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reformation.
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reformed.
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refund.
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refunding.
abbreviation
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referee
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reference
noun
Usage
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?
Etymology
Origin of ref
First recorded in 1895–1900; by shortening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Caroline: City fan but well done ref, about time they started to stand up to VAR.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026
Why has the ref decided to change his mind with that penalty?
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026
“It’s the equivalent of having an NFL ref for a pee-wee football game,” said John Murphy, who oversees the club’s racing operations.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025
"Tactically, you have to give it up to Canada, the kick game, the ruck game, and they kept the ref out of the game," Tui added.
From BBC • Sep. 19, 2025
The ref blew the whistle and gave us the signal for the game to start.
From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
