REFERENCE
reference,n.1. The act of sending or directing to another for information, service,
consideration, or decision; specif., the act of sending a case to a master or referee for information
or decision. [Cases: Federal Civil Procedure 1871; Reference 1. C.J.S. References §§ 2–3.]
general reference.A court’s reference of a case to a referee, usu. with all parties’ consent, to
decide all issues of fact and law. • The referee’s decision stands as the judgment of the court.
[Cases: Reference 5. C.J.S. References § 8.]
special reference.A court’s reference of a case to a referee for decisions on specific questions
of fact. • The special referee makes findings and reports them to the trial judge, who treats them as
advisory only and not as binding decisions. [Cases: Reference 12. C.J.S. References § 20.]
- An order sending a case to a master or referee for information or decision. [Cases: Federal
Civil Procedure 1888; Reference 29.C.J.S. References § 33.] 3. Mention or citation of one
document or source in another document or source. [Cases: Contracts 166. C.J.S. Contracts §§
315–316.] 4.Patents. Information — such as that contained in a publication, another patent, or
another patent application — that a patent examiner considers to be anticipatory prior art or proof
of unpredictability in the art that forms a basis for one or more of an applicant’s claims to be
rejected. See CITATION(4). [Cases: Patents 57.1. C.J.S. Patents § 57.] — refer,vb. [Blacks Law 8th]