ref

Ref is a common abbreviation with several related meanings in English. It most often stands for reference or referee, depending on context. The term has become a clipped form used in both everyday language and specialized fields.

In sports, a ref (referee) is an official charged with enforcing rules, maintaining safety, and making decisions on the field. Referees may consult with other officials and with competition rules, and their calls can be reviewed by leagues or, occasionally, by fans through official review processes.

In writing and research, a reference is a source consulted or cited. A list of references appears at the end of a document, and inline markers or footnotes point to these sources. The abbreviation ref. or refs. is sometimes used in bibliographies or citation lists.

In computing, a reference is an address or alias to an object or value. Some programming languages include a ref construct or keyword to indicate pass-by-reference, and in user interface frameworks a ref attribute may provide a handle to a DOM element or component. References enable indirect access, sharing, or updating of data without copying values.

See also: reference, referee, citation, pointer, alias.