referee
- Top 5000
Sense 1
- noun
- B1
The person in charge of a game, who watches that players keep to the rules and stops play when they do not.
The referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.
Both captains shook hands with the referee before the game started.
Half the crowd booed when the referee showed a red card.
A good referee stays calm even when both teams complain.
Common collocations: blow the whistle · the referee's decision · assistant referee · argue with the referee · send a player off
Part of: Sport
Sense 2 · less common
- verb
- B2
To be the person in charge of a game and decide when players break the rules.
He referees youth matches on Saturday mornings for a small fee.
Who will referee the final if she is still ill?
She has refereed at three international tournaments in two years.
Common collocations: referee a match · referee a game · referee the final · learn to referee
Part of: Sport
Sense 3 · less common
- noun
- C1
Someone who tells a company or school what you are like as a worker or student when you ask for a job or a place.
Please list two referees who can comment on your recent work.
My old tutor kindly agreed to act as my referee.
The company phoned both referees before offering her the job.
Common collocations: act as a referee · name a referee · contact your referees · two referees
Part of: Jobs, Business correspondence
Forms
- past
- refereed
- plural
- referees
- third_person
- referees
- past_participle
- refereed
- present_participle
- refereeing