Definition of "referee" [ref•er•ee]

• One to whom something is referred, especially for settlement, decision, or an opinion as to the thing's quality. (noun)
• Sports & Games An official supervising the play; an umpire. (noun)
• Law A person appointed by a court to make a determination of a case or to investigate and make a report on it. See Synonyms at judge. (noun)
• To judge as referee. (verb-transitive)
• To act as referee. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "But there are plenty of times in this odd mismatch when Seligman the referee is the most absorbing person in the ring, not least when he's encouraging himself to make the most of Sontag."
• "(When the referee is biased, there is a serious problem and the result is unquestionable unfairness.)"
• "Ireland are demanding a replay, but until the video referee is introduced in football, the result surely must stand."