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.]

  1. 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]