refer > define

verb

• Make reference to.
  • usage: "His name was mentioned in connection with the invention"
  • synonyms: mention, advert, bring up, cite, name
• Be relevant to.
  • usage: "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments"
  • synonyms: pertain, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have-to doe with
• Think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another.
  • usage: "This plant can be referred to a known species"
• Send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision.
  • usage: "refer a patient to a specialist"; "refer a bill to a committee"
• Seek information from.
  • usage: "You should consult the dictionary"; "refer to your notes"
  • synonyms: consult, look up
• Have as a meaning.
  • usage: "`multi-' denotes `many' "
  • synonyms: denote
• Use a name to designate.
  • usage: "Christians refer to the mother of Jesus as the Virgin Mary"

• (v.t.) To place in or under by a mental or rational process; to assign to, as a class, a cause, source, a motive, reason or ground of explanation; as, he referred the phenomena to electrical disturbances.
• (v.i.) To have relation or reference; to relate; to point; as, the figure refers to a footnote.
• (v.i.) To direct inquiry for information or a guarantee of any kind, as in respect to one's integrity, capacity, pecuniary ability, and the like; as, I referred to his employer for the truth of his story.
• (v.t.) To carry or send back.
• (v.i.) To have recourse; to apply; to appeal; to betake one's self; as, to refer to a dictionary.
• (v.i.) To carry the mind or thought; to direct attention; as, the preacher referred to the late election.
• (v.t.) Hence: To send or direct away; to send or direct elsewhere, as for treatment, aid, information, decision, etc.; to make over or pass over, to another; as, to refer a student to an author; to refer a beggar to an officer; to refer a bill to a committee; a court refers a matter of fact to a commissioner for investigation or refers a question of law to a superior tribunal.