I. um ‧ pire 1 /ˈʌmpaɪə $ -paɪr/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: a numpire , mistaken for an umpire ; numpire 'umpire' from Old French nonper 'not equal' , from non- + per 'equal' (from Latin par ) ]
the person who makes sure that the players obey the rules in sports such as tennis, baseball, and ↑ cricket ⇨ referee
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THESAURUS
▪ referee someone who makes sure that the rules of a sport are obeyed in soccer, American football, rugby, ice hockey, basketball, boxing, or wrestling:
a football referee
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The referee blew his whistle to stop the game.
▪ umpire someone who makes sure that the rules are obeyed in baseball, cricket, tennis, or hockey:
He was given several warnings by the umpire.
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a tennis umpire
▪ judge someone who decides the result of a competition or sporting contest:
There will be only one winner and the judges’ decision is final.
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A panel of judges will evaluate the dancers' performance.
▪ arbitrator someone who officially decides how an argument between two opposing sides should be settled:
They insisted that an independent arbitrator must settle the dispute.
II. umpire 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
to be the umpire in a game or competition