Well, I’m pretty sure that’s not what the word means,
It appears you linked to tvtropes.org?
I’m fairly certain the widely accepted definition of ‘reference’ encompasses the idea of referencing entries in an encyclopedia. So in this case I wouldn’t trust ‘TVTropes’ at all.
Here’s Merriam-Webster:
reference1 of 3nounref·er·ence ˈre-fərn(t)s ˈre-f(ə-)rən(t)s1: the act of referring or consulting2: a bearing on a matter : RELATIONin reference to your recent letter3: something that refers: such asa: ALLUSION, MENTIONb: something (such as a sign or indication) that refers a reader or consulter to another source of information (such as a book or passage)c: consultation of sources of information4: one referred to or consulted: such asa: a person to whom inquiries as to character or ability can be madeb: a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with the personc(1): a source of information (such as a book or passage) to which a reader or consulter is referred(2): a work (such as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or information
1 of 3
ref·er·ence ˈre-fərn(t)s
ˈre-f(ə-)rən(t)s
1: the act of referring or consulting
2: a bearing on a matter : RELATION
in reference to your recent letter
3: something that refers: such as
a: ALLUSION, MENTION
b: something (such as a sign or indication) that refers a reader or consulter to another source of information (such as a book or passage)
c: consultation of sources of information
4: one referred to or consulted: such as
a: a person to whom inquiries as to character or ability can be made
b: a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given by someone familiar with the person
c(1): a source of information (such as a book or passage) to which a reader or consulter is referred
(2): a work (such as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or information
It appears you linked to tvtropes.org?
I’m fairly certain the widely accepted definition of ‘reference’ encompasses the idea of referencing entries in an encyclopedia. So in this case I wouldn’t trust ‘TVTropes’ at all.
Here’s Merriam-Webster: