referring

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of refer.

   The author is referring to events from the previous chapter.

   Referring constantly to her notes, she answered every question.

   Note

   The -ing form doubles the final r of refer and keeps both of the verb's patterns. With a direct object, it means sending someone or something elsewhere: referring a patient to a specialist. Without an object, it always needs to: referring to the previous chapter, referring to her notes. Drop the object only when something is being mentioned, and never drop the to in that case.

2. 2
   noununcountable

   The act of sending someone or something on to another person or body for attention, or of mentioning something.

   The referring of cases to the committee follows strict procedures.

   His repeated referring to the contract slowed the whole negotiation.

   Similarreferral, reference

   Note

   Here the word has become a full noun. It takes the or a possessive, and what is referred follows of: the referring of cases, his referring to the contract. That sets it apart from the verb's gerund, which takes a direct object (referring cases). It can even be pluralized as referrings. Where only the result matters, reference is the plainer word. Referring keeps attention on the act itself.

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