Original post by threeportdriftReferee = person who writes you a reference
Reference = letter, email, telephone conversation, completed form from someone you know, to your future employer/college/university saying you are a decent person/worker.
A reference is given, on request from a potential new employer, or university/college whatever.
It used to be that you took pre-written references from past employers and held them at home and just showed them to a new employer when you wanted. This is very rarely done nowadays, but you might have people offer to give you a pre-written reference. You can say yes, if that seems politest, but they are rarely acceptable to employers because now everyone has a computer and printing facilities, they are too easily forged. Employers usually take up references directly with your Referees in whatever format they want.
What normally happens is that when an employer gets their recruitment down to the last person, they phone/email that last candidate and make them a verbal offer of the job 'subject to satisfactory references'. Then you give them the details (if you weren't asked for them on an application form) of usually two people, who know you in a professional capacity (ie not family or friends) who have agreed to be your Referees. The employer then contacts them directly and asks for references in whatever form it wants them.