\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.

\Re*fer"\, v. i.
1. To have recourse; to apply; to appeal; to betake one's
   self; as, to refer to a dictionary.
         In suits . . . it is to refer to some friend of
         trust.                                --Bacon.
2. To have relation or reference; to relate; to point; as,
   the figure refers to a footnote.
         Of those places that refer to the shutting and
         opening the abyss, I take notice of that in Job.
                                               --Bp. Burnet.
3. To carry the mind or throught; to direct attention; as,
   the preacher referrd to the late election.
4. To direct inquiry for information or a quarantes of any
   kind, as in respect to one's integrity, capacity,
   pecuniary ability, and the like; as, I referred to his
   employer for the truth of his story.
Syn: To allude; advert; suggest; appeal.
Usage: {Refer}, {Allude}, {Advert}. We refer to a thing by
       specifically and distinctly introducing it into our
       discourse. We allude to it by introducing it
       indirectly or indefinitely, as by something
       collaterally allied to it. We advert to it by turning
       off somewhat abruptly to consider it more at large.
       Thus, Macaulay refers to the early condition of
       England at the opening of his history; he alludes to
       these statements from time to time; and adverts, in
       the progress of his work, to various circumstances of
       pecullar interest, on which for a time he dwells.
       ``But to do good is . . . that that Solomon chiefly
       refers to in the text.'' --Sharp. ``This, I doubt not,
       was that artificial structure here alluded to.'' --T.
       Burnet.
             Now to the universal whole advert: The earth
             regard as of that whole a part.   --Blackmore.