From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrefref /ref/ noun [countable] informal DSa referee
Examples from the Corpus
ref• Yelling at refs is a big step forward.• To apply, send your c.v., quoting ref.• Omonia supporters chased the ref off the pitch, then tore down the steel dressing-room doors.• Juwan Howard is fined for signaling his degree of respect for the refs, on a scale of 1 to 10.• The slightest contact draws a whistle, usually from the ref with the worst view.• The ref was full of Christmas spirit and United's top scorer was dancing with delight.ref.ref. (also ref British English) x-refthe written abbreviation of referenceFrom Longman Business Dictionaryrefref written abbreviation for REFERENCEyour ref 4122Origin ref (1800-1900) referee 