cf.
Abbreviation with 9 meanings
| Stands for | Confer (compare) |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 9 |
| Categories | Writing & Everyday, Medical, Sports, Geography & Places, Science & Engineering, Technology & Computing |
| Also written | CF, Cf |
cf. has nine meanings. The most common are Confer (compare) (Latin) and Cystic fibrosis (respiratory); it can also stand for Center fielder, Center forward, Counting fingers, Central African Republic and Capacity factor, plus 2 more listed below.
Meanings of cf. at a glance
| # | cf. stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confer (compare) | Writing & Everyday › Latin |
| 2 | Cystic fibrosis | Medical › Respiratory |
| 3 | Center fielder | Sports › Baseball |
| 4 | Center forward | Sports › Soccer (Association Football) |
| 5 | Counting fingers | Medical › Ophthalmology & ENT |
| 6 | Central African Republic | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 7 | Capacity factor | Science & Engineering › Energy |
| 8 | CompactFlash | Technology & Computing › Computer Hardware |
| 9 | Californium | Science & Engineering › Chemical Element |
1. Confer (compare)
Writing & Everyday · Latin Abbreviations
Directs the reader to another source or passage for comparison, typically one that offers a contrasting or analogous view. It appears mainly in academic footnotes, legal briefs and scholarly commentary, and is often misused as if it simply meant "see."
Example: Earlier surveys reported much higher response rates (cf. Johnson 2015, who relied on telephone interviews).
From the Latin imperative confer, "bring together, compare." Pronounced "compare" or as the letters "see-eff." Strictly, cf. points to something different but worth comparing; for a source that directly supports a claim, "see" is the correct signal, a distinction the Bluebook formalizes in legal citation. It is set in roman type and written lowercase except at the start of a note.
2. Cystic fibrosis (CF)
Medical · Respiratory Abbreviations
Inherited disease caused by variants in both copies of the CFTR gene, producing thick, sticky secretions that damage the lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines and reproductive tract. Chronic lung infection and bronchiectasis were historically the main cause of death.
Example: CF with F508del homozygous, on elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor; FEV1 improved from 62% to 81%.
The CFTR gene was identified in 1989, and F508del is the most common variant. All US states screen newborns, and a sweat chloride of 60 mmol/L or more confirms the diagnosis. CFTR modulators, especially the triple combination approved in 2019, have transformed outcomes, and predicted median survival now extends well into adulthood. Nearly 40,000 people in the US live with CF. In everyday writing "cf." (Latin confer, compare) is unrelated.
3. Center fielder (CF)
Sports · Baseball Abbreviations
Outfielder who covers center field, position number 8, the outfield's widest territory. Center fielders are usually the fastest outfielders and direct the others on fly balls.
Example: The CF made a running catch on the warning track to save two runs.
Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr. are among the greatest center fielders. Up-the-middle positions, catcher, shortstop, second base and center field, are considered the core of a strong defense. In soccer CF means center forward.
4. Center forward (CF)
Sports · Soccer (Association Football) Abbreviations
Forward who plays in the middle of the attack; often used interchangeably with striker, though in some systems a CF drops deeper to link play with midfielders.
Example: The coach used a false nine at CF to pull defenders out of position.
A "false nine" is a center forward who drops into midfield, a role Lionel Messi made famous at Barcelona under Pep Guardiola. Historically the center forward wore the number 9. In baseball CF means center fielder.
5. Counting fingers (CF)
Medical · Ophthalmology & ENT Abbreviations
Visual acuity recording used when a patient cannot read the largest letter on the chart but can count the examiner's fingers at a stated distance, such as "CF at 3 feet". It indicates vision worse than about 20/400.
Example: VA OD CF at 2 feet, OS 20/30; dense white cataract OD.
CF is one of the low-vision steps below the chart: counting fingers, hand motion, light perception and no light perception. The distance must be recorded because it carries meaning. In pulmonology CF means cystic fibrosis, a far more common use.
6. Central African Republic (CF)
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Two-letter code of the Central African Republic, capital Bangui, alpha-3 CAF, from its French name République centrafricaine. The .cf domain was once given away free by the Freenom service.
Example: The aid budget lists CF alongside CD and CG, three neighbors easily confused in data entry.
In news the country is usually CAR. In 2022 it became the second country, after El Salvador, to adopt bitcoin as legal tender, a decision reversed the following year.
7. Capacity factor (CF)
Science & Engineering · Energy Abbreviations
Ratio of a power plant's actual output over a period to the output it would produce running at full rated capacity the entire time, expressed as a percentage. Capacity factor reveals how much a plant really generates, beyond its nameplate size.
Example: US nuclear plants had a CF above 90% last year, compared with about 35% for wind.
Solar farms typically achieve around 20-30%, depending on location and tracking. Low capacity factors are not necessarily inefficiency; peaker plants deliberately run rarely. Comparing sources by capacity in megawatts alone overstates the output of variable renewables relative to plants that run around the clock.
8. CompactFlash (CF)
Technology & Computing · Computer Hardware Abbreviations
Memory-card format, 43 by 36 mm, introduced by SanDisk in 1994 and long favored in professional DSLR cameras for its capacity and reliability. Type I and thicker Type II cards were made.
Example: My old Canon 5D Mark III has one CF slot and one SD slot.
CompactFlash uses a parallel ATA-style interface, so simple adapters let it act as a hard drive in vintage computers and industrial machines. The CFast variant switched to SATA, and its successor CFexpress, based on PCIe and NVMe, is used in high-end cameras today. CF cards have pins inside the slot, which can bend if a card is inserted carelessly.
9. Californium (Cf)
Science & Engineering · Chemical Element Abbreviations
Californium (atomic number 98) is one of the strongest neutron emitters known: a microgram of californium-252 releases more than two million neutrons per second. Compact sources are used to start up nuclear reactors, scan luggage and cargo, log oil wells and measure moisture in soil and materials.
Example: Startup sources containing Cf-252 provide neutrons to bring a fresh reactor core to criticality safely.
Stanley Thompson, Kenneth Street Jr., Albert Ghiorso and Glenn Seaborg created californium in 1950 at Berkeley by bombarding curium-242 with alpha particles. It was named after the state and the University of California. The High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory produces most of the world's supply.
Related abbreviations
More Latin abbreviations
- ad lib. – Ad libitum (at one's pleasure)
- aet. – Aetatis (aged, at the age of)
- c. – Circa (around, approximately)
- cet. par. – Ceteris paribus (other things being equal)
- CV – Curriculum vitae (course of life)
- d. – Denarius (penny)
- D.G. – Dei gratia (by the grace of God)
- D.V. – Deo volente (God willing)
See all 53 Latin abbreviations →
More respiratory abbreviations
- BiPAP – Bilevel positive airway pressure
- BOOP – Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia
- BPD – Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
- CAP – Community-acquired pneumonia
- COP – Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia
- COPD – Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- CPAP – Continuous positive airway pressure
- CPET – Cardiopulmonary exercise test
See all 109 respiratory abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.