Real Dictionary

reference
a small part of anything, intended as representative of the whole; specimen [...]
a unit of heredity composed of DNA occupying a fixed position on a chromosome (some viral genes are composed of RNA). A gene may determine a characteristic of an individual by specifying a polypeptide chain that forms a protein or part of a protein ( stru
all the persons inhabiting a country, city, or other specified place [...]
an accepted or approved example of something against which others are judged or measured [...]
an arrangement of two or more things in a successive order [...]
the act or an instance of referring [...]
the act or an instance of straining [...]
the full complement of genetic material within an organism [...]
the moral principles and beliefs or accepted standards of a person or social group [...]
uncountable noun: Reference is the act of consulting someone or something in order to get information or advice.
variable noun: Reference to someone or something is the act of talking about them or mentioning them. A reference is a particular example of this.