erect

American  

[ih-rekt] / ɪˈrɛkt /

adjective

1. upright in position or posture.

   to stand or sit erect.

   Synonyms:

   vertical , standing

2. raised or directed upward.

   a dog with ears erect.

3. Botany.  vertical throughout; not spreading or declined.

   an erect stem;

   an erect leaf or ovule.

4. Heraldry.

   1. (of a charge) represented vertically, following the line of a pale.

      a sword erect.

   2. (of an animal or part of an animal) represented upright.

      a boar's head erect.

5. Optics.  (of an image) having the same position as the object; not inverted.

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verb (used with object)

1. to build; construct; raise.

   to erect a house.

   Synonyms:

   upraise , upend , set up , put up

2. to raise and set in an upright or vertical position.

   to erect a telegraph pole.

3. to set up or establish, as an institution; found.

4. to bring about; cause to come into existence.

   to erect barriers to progress.

5. Geometry.  to draw or construct (a line or figure) upon a given line, base, or the like.

6. to form or create legally (usually followed byinto ).

   to erect a territory into a state.

7. Optics.  to change (an inverted image) to the normal position.

8. Machinery.  to assemble; make ready for use.

verb (used without object)

1. to become erect; stand up or out.

erect British  

/ ɪˈrɛkt /

adjective

1. upright in posture or position; not bent or leaning

   an erect stance

2. (of an optical image) having the same orientation as the object; not inverted

3. physiol (of the penis, clitoris, or nipples) firm or rigid after swelling with blood, esp as a result of sexual excitement

4. (of plant parts) growing vertically or at right angles to the parts from which they arise

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verb

1. to put up; construct; build

2. to raise to an upright position; lift up

   to erect a flagpole

3. to found or form; set up

4. (also intr) physiol to become or cause to become firm or rigid by filling with blood

5. to hold up as an ideal; exalt

6. optics to change (an inverted image) to an upright position

7. 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

Today, it has buildings erected a century or more ago when coal was booming.

From The Wall Street Journal

What makes these allegations particularly concerning is that, if accurate, they’d amount to an established firm erecting barriers to entry to a smaller competitor—classic anticompetitive behavior.

From The Wall Street Journal

Railway operator Deutsche Bahn erected a temporary bridge that opened two months later, only to be rammed by another ship in July, interrupting rail traffic again for another month.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hong Kong is famous for its use of the scaffolding, which is erected by tying bamboo poles together with nylon fasteners.

From BBC

The work to erect the two tallest towers in Beverly Hills started Friday with an overnight continuous pour of 3,800 cubic yards of concrete, the equivalent of 41,000 wheelbarrows-full.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assemble
• construct
• create
• found
• hoist
• initiate
• mount
• organize
• put up
• raise
• set up
• stand