A reference work is a type of publication that provides information on a particular subject. The three crossword solutions for the term 'reference work: abbr.' are ENcy (4 letters), ENC (3 letters), and NED (3 letters). ENcy stands for Encyclopedia, which is a comprehensive collection of information about a particular subject. ENC stands for Encyclopedia, which is a shorter version of an encyclopedia. Lastly, NED stands for National Encyclopedia Dictionary, which is a dictionary of terms related to a particular country.