English word origin

Etymology of ref

Clippings.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

noun

Clipping of referee. · Abbreviation of reference. · Clipping of refsheet. · Abbreviation of refectory.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clippings.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping"
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "lang_code": "tl",
      "word": "ref",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of referee.",
        "Abbreviation of reference.",
        "Clipping of refsheet.",
        "Abbreviation of refectory."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping",
        "informal"
      ],
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  }
}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To referee; to act as a referee in a sport or game.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clippings.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping"
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To referee; to act as a referee in a sport or game."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive",
        "informal"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "b3cb07df5e3109a0b921052b38cf32d7509396675dacbc5329d254c4e7bd404a",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ref →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-cmVm