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referee

A person who settles a dispute.

ˌɹɛf.əˈɹiːCurrent116 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
3 definitions
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6 citations · last seen May 2026

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UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

A person who settles a dispute.

Your application, along with letters from three referees, should be received by January 31.
Cluster: general
Heard in the wild
  • “Fun little tidbit, in my early/mid 20s I was a referee for a roller derby team. My derby name was wreck it roo.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(UK) A person who writes a letter of reference or provides a reference by phone call for someone. (In the UK such a person is sometimes, and in the US the person is typically, referred to as a reference.).

The referee kicked Jim out of the game for fighting.
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UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK

(sports) An umpire or judge; an official who makes sure the rules are followed during a game.

The referee kicked Jim out of the game for fighting.
Origin: From , from past participle of , from ; as if , that is, the person to whom something is referred for consideration. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Heard in the wild
  • “Celtics lost playoff series due to poor performance, not referee bias or agenda.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “Dave Syme was a bit later - he was on the Scottish referees list in the late 1970s entire 80s and early 90s. Incidentally Symes dad Willie was also a Scottish League referee in the 60s early 70s, both refereed the Scottish Cup Final.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “In hockey, there are rules and a referee.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “The latest is about how Erling Haaland deserves to be Player of the Season on the basis of his honesty and FairPlay for not getting Gabriel sent off. The Erling Haaland who also threw a ball at Gabriel's head, told our manager and kid to F off, screamed in a referee's face, etc.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
  • “his way through on the inside. He went into the bend too fast, pushed Auffret out and brought him off. Referee John Whittaker had no hesitation in excluding McNeil for dangerous riding, but according to the rule book he could award Auffret only third place.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang

UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.

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