erect
Americanadjective
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upright in position or posture.
to stand or sit erect.
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raised or directed upward.
a dog with ears erect.
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Botany. vertical throughout; not spreading or declined.
an erect stem;
an erect leaf or ovule.
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Heraldry.
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(of a charge) represented vertically, following the line of a pale.
a sword erect.
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(of an animal or part of an animal) represented upright.
a boar's head erect.
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Optics. (of an image) having the same position as the object; not inverted.
verb (used with object)
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to erect a house.
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to raise and set in an upright or vertical position.
to erect a telegraph pole.
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to set up or establish, as an institution; found.
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to bring about; cause to come into existence.
to erect barriers to progress.
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Geometry. to draw or construct (a line or figure) upon a given line, base, or the like.
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to form or create legally (usually followed byinto ).
to erect a territory into a state.
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Optics. to change (an inverted image) to the normal position.
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Machinery. to assemble; make ready for use.
verb (used without object)
adjective
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upright in posture or position; not bent or leaning
an erect stance
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(of an optical image) having the same orientation as the object; not inverted
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physiol (of the penis, clitoris, or nipples) firm or rigid after swelling with blood, esp as a result of sexual excitement
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(of plant parts) growing vertically or at right angles to the parts from which they arise
verb
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to put up; construct; build
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to raise to an upright position; lift up
to erect a flagpole
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to found or form; set up
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(also intr) physiol to become or cause to become firm or rigid by filling with blood
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to hold up as an ideal; exalt
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optics to change (an inverted image) to an upright position
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to draw or construct (a line, figure, etc) on a given line or figure, esp at right angles to it
Related Words
See upright.
Other Word Forms
- erectable adjective
- erectly adverb
- erectness noun
- nonerecting adjective
- preerect verb (used with object)
- reerect verb (used with object)
- semierect adjective
- semierectly adverb
- semierectness noun
- suberect adjective
- suberectly adverb
- suberectness noun
- unerect adjective
Etymology
Origin of erect
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin ērēctus “raised up” (past participle of ērigere ), equivalent to ē- e- 1 + reg- “guide, direct” ( royal ) + -tus past participle suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After erecting a monument, the Obama foundation now seeks to lower expectations.
Parts of the German business lobby and trade unions, long enthusiastic supporters of free trade, are pushing Berlin to erect barriers to Chinese imports.
At the Fed, Bowman has moved to slash staff and erect guardrails against what she describes as “abusive” supervisory practices.
That strategy didn’t specifically mention Taiwan but included a more general statement that the U.S. military will “erect a strong denial defense along the First Island Chain.”
Across the street, organisers erected pop-up tents behind temporary barricades, offering the ever-growing media crowd some shelter from the frequent downpours.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
