Adjacent Words

Referring definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

REFER'RING, ppr. Dismissing or directing to another for information; alluding; assigning, as to a class, order, cause, _c; or assigning to private persons for decision.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Refer Re*fer" (r?*f?r"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Referred (-f?rd); p. pr. & vb. n. Referring.] [F. r['e]f['e]rer, L. referre; pref. re- re- + ferre to bear. See Bear to carry.] 1. To carry or send back. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 2. Hence: To send or direct away; to send or direct elsewhere, as for treatment, aid, infirmation, 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. 3. 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. To refer one's self, to have recourse; to betake one's self; to make application; to appeal. [Obs.] I'll refer me to all things sense. --Shak.