1. The act of sending or directing to another for information, service, consideration, or decision; specif., the act of sending a case to a master or referee for information or decision. [Cases: Federal Civil Procedure 1871; Reference
1. C.J.S. References §§ 2–3.]
general reference. A court’s reference of a case to a referee, usu. with all parties’ consent, to decide all issues of fact and law. • The referee’s decision stands as the judgment of the court. [Cases: Reference
5. C.J.S. References § 8.]
special reference. A court’s reference of a case to a referee for decisions on specific questions of fact. • The special referee makes findings and reports them to the trial judge, who treats them as advisory only and not as binding decisions. [Cases: Reference 12. C.J.S. References § 20.]
2. An order sending a case to a master or referee for information or decision. [Cases: Federal Civil Procedure 1888; Reference 29. C.J.S. References § 33.]
3. Mention or citation of one document or source in another document or source. [Cases: Contracts 166. C.J.S. Contracts §§ 315–316.]
4. Patents. Information — such as that contained in a publication, another patent, or another patent application — that a patent examiner considers to be anticipatory prior art or proof of unpredictability in the art that forms a basis for one or more of an applicant’s claims to be rejected. See CITATION(4). [Cases: Patents 57.
1. C.J.S. Patents § 57.] — refer, vb.
