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1. (sport) the chief official (as in boxing or American football) who is expected to ensure fair play
   - ref [informal]
    
2. Someone who reads manuscripts and judges their suitability for publication
   - reviewer, reader
    
3. (law) an attorney appointed by a court to investigate and report on a case
    
4. [Brit] Someone who writes a reference letter for a job candidate
   - reference [N. Amer]

1. (sport) be a referee or umpire in a sports competition
   - umpire, ref [informal], ump [informal]
    
2. Evaluate professionally a colleague's work
   - peer review

Derived forms: refereed, referees, refereeing

Type of: attorney, critic, critique, judge, lawyer, official, review

Encyclopedia: Referee