Other forms: referees, refereed, refereeing
A referee is the person in charge of the rules while a game is being played — the one with the whistle who stops play and points. A football referee holding up a red card; a boxing referee counting over a fighter on the canvas.
The job reaches well past sport. Anyone brought in to settle an argument about the rules can be the referee: in a board game, in a dispute between two departments. In Britain a referee is also somebody who will vouch for you when you apply for work — you name two referees on the form, and the employer writes to them for a reference. In academic publishing, a referee is the expert who reads a paper before it is printed, which is what a refereed journal means. The short form is ref, and the verb is refereeing (note the run of e's). Careful with the sports word: cricket, tennis and baseball have an umpire, not a referee.
1nounrefereeThe official who enforces the rules during a sports match.
“The referee blew for a foul before the ball crossed the line.”
2noungameA person brought in to settle a disagreement about the rules.
“They asked a neighbour to act as referee for the last round.”
3nounworkSomeone who will speak for your character or your work when you apply for a job.
“She listed her old head of department as a referee.”
4nounexpertAn expert who reads and judges an academic paper before it is published.
“Two referees recommended the paper with minor changes.”
5verbchargeTo act as the official in charge of a match or a dispute.
“He has refereed in the lower leagues for eleven years.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
Also accepted in games: ref, umpire
Referee is refer plus the ending -ee: the one a thing is referred to. Behind refer stands Latin referō, "to carry back, to report", the same verb that gives reference. So a referee is not first of all a punisher; a referee is the person the question gets carried to. That covers the figure with the whistle and the old boss an employer writes to, in one word.
Proto-Indo-European
*bʰer-
Latin
refero — to carry back, to report, to notify
Old French
referer — to relate, to refer
English, today
referee
From Middle English, from past participle of Old French referer (“to relate, to refer”), from Latin refero (“to carry back, to report, to notify”); as if refer + ee, that is, the person to whom something is referred for consideration.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA