different between throwback vs reference

English

Etymology

From throw +? back.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?????.bæk/
• (US) IPA^(key): /???o?.bæk/
• Hyphenation: throw?back

Noun

throwback (plural throwbacks)

1. A reversion to an earlier stage of development.
2. (derogatory) A person considered to be primitive, uncivilized and mentally deficient.
3. An organism that has characteristics of a more primitive form.
4. An atavism.
5. A person similar to an ancestor, or something new similar to what already existed.

See also

• throw back

References

• throwback on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Translations

For information on how references should be handled on Wiktionary, see Wiktionary:References

English

Etymology

From Middle French référence, from Medieval Latin referentia, nominative neuter plural of refer?ns, present participle of refer? (“return, reply”, literally “carry back”).

Morphologically refer +? -ence.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???f.(?)??ns/
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /???f???ns/
• Hyphenation: ref?er?ence

Noun

reference (countable and uncountable, plural references)

1. (literary or archaic) A relationship or relation (to something).
2. A measurement one can compare to.
3. Information about a person, provided by someone (a referee) with whom they are well acquainted.
4. A person who provides this information; a referee.
5. A reference work.
6. (attributive) That which serves as a reference work.

7. The act of referring: a submitting for information or decision.
8. (semantics) A relation between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object.
9. (academic writing) A short written identification of a previously published work which is used as a source for a text.
10. (academic writing) A previously published written work thus indicated; a source.
11. (computing) An object containing information which refers to data stored elsewhere, as opposed to containing the data itself.
12. (programming, character entity) A special sequence used to represent complex characters in markup languages, such as ™ for the ™ symbol.
13. (obsolete) Appeal.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• sense
• handle

Verb

reference (third-person singular simple present references, present participle referencing, simple past and past participle referenced)

1. To provide a list of references for (a text).

2. To refer to, to use as a reference.
3. To mention, to cite.
4. (programming) To contain the value that is a memory address of some value stored in memory.

Usage notes

Some authorities object to the use of reference as a verb with a meaning other than “provide a list of references for,” preferring refer to or cite in these cases. Others allow the meaning “refer to” but reject “mention.” Nevertheless, the proscribed usages are common in both writing and speech.

Related terms

• referee
• referent
• referential
• relate
• relation

Translations

References

Further reading

• reference in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• reference in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• reference at OneLook Dictionary Search