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Webster 1913 Edition

Erect

E-rect′

,
Adj.
[L.
erectus
, p. p. of
erigere
to erect;
e
out +
regere
to lead straight. See
Right
, and cf.
Alert
.]
1.
Upright, or having a vertical position; not inverted; not leaning or bent; not prone;
as, to stand
erect
.
Two of far nobler shape,
erect
and tall.
Milton.
Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still
erect
– a column of ruins.
Gibbon.
2.
Directed upward; raised; uplifted.
His piercing eyes,
erect
, appear to view
Superior worlds, and look all nature through.
Pope.
3.
Bold; confident; free from depression; undismayed.
But who is he, by years
Bowed, but
erect
in heart?
Keble.
4.
Watchful; alert.
Vigilant and
erect
attention of mind.
Hooker.
5.
(Bot.)
Standing upright, with reference to the earth’s surface, or to the surface to which it is attached.
6.
(Her.)
Elevated, as the tips of wings, heads of serpents, etc.

E-rect′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Erected
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Erecting
.]
1.
To raise and place in an upright or perpendicular position; to set upright; to raise;
as, to
erect
a pole, a flagstaff, a monument, etc.
2.
To raise, as a building; to build; to construct;
as, to
erect
a house or a fort
; to set up; to put together the component parts of, as of a machine.
3.
To lift up; to elevate; to exalt; to magnify.
That didst his state above his hopes
erect
.
Daniel.
I, who am a party, am not to
erect
myself into a judge.
Dryden.
4.
To animate; to encourage; to cheer.
It raiseth the dropping spirit,
erecting
it to a loving complaisance.
Barrow.
5.
To set up as an assertion or consequence from premises, or the like.
“To erect conclusions.”
Sir T. Browne.
“Malebranche erects this proposition.”
Locke.
6.
To set up or establish; to found; to form; to institute.
“To erect a new commonwealth.”
Hooker.
Syn. – To set up; raise; elevate; construct; build; institute; establish; found.

E-rect′

,
Verb.
I.
To rise upright.
[Obs.]
By wet, stalks do
erect
.
Bacon.

Webster 1828 Edition

Erect

ERECT'

,
Adj.
[L. erectus, from erigo, to set upright; e and rego, to stretch or make straight, right, rectus. See Right.]
1.
Upright, or in a perpendicular posture; as, he stood erect.
2.
Directed upward.
And suppliant hands, to heaven erect.
3.
Upright and firm; bold; unshaken.
Let no vain fear thy generous ardor tame;
But stand erect.
4.
Raised; stretched; intent; vigorous; as a vigilant and erect attention of mind in prayer.
5.
Stretched; extended.
6.
In botany, an erect stem is one which is without support from twining, or nearly perpendicular; an erect leaf is one which grows close to the stem; an erect flower has its aperture directed upwards.

ERECT'

,
Verb.
T.
To raise and set in an upright or perpendicular direction, or nearly such; as, to erect a pole or flag-staff.
To erect a perpendicular, is to set or form one line on another at right angles.
1.
To raise, as a building; to set up; to build; as, to erect a house or temple; to erect a fort.
2.
To set up or establish anew; to found; to form; as, to erect a kingdom or commonwealth; to erect a new system or theory.
3.
To elevate; to exalt.
I am far from pretending to infallibility; that would be to erect myself into an apostle.
4.
To raise; to excite; to animate; to encourage.
Why should not hope
As much erect our thoughts, as fear deject them?
5.
To raise a consequence from premises. [Little used.]
Malebranche erects this proposition.
6.
To extend; to distend.

ERECT'

,
Verb.
I.
To rise upright.

Definition 2024

erect

erect

English

Adjective

erect ‎(comparative more erect, superlative most erect)

  1. Upright; vertical or reaching broadly upwards.
    • Gibbon
      Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect — a column of ruins.
  2. Rigid, firm; standing out perpendicularly.
  3. (obsolete) Bold; confident; free from depression; undismayed.
    • Keble
      But who is he, by years / Bowed, but erect in heart?
  4. (obsolete) Directed upward; raised; uplifted.
    • Alexander Pope
      His piercing eyes, erect, appear to view / Superior worlds, and look all nature through.
  5. Watchful; alert.
    • Hooker
      vigilant and erect attention of mind
  6. (heraldry) Elevated, as the tips of wings, heads of serpents, etc.

Antonyms

  • (rigid; standing out perpendicularly): flaccid

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

erect ‎(third-person singular simple present erects, present participle erecting, simple past and past participle erected)

  1. (transitive) To put up by the fitting together of materials or parts.
    to erect a house or a fort
  2. (transitive) To cause to stand up or out.
  3. To raise and place in an upright or perpendicular position; to set upright; to raise.
    to erect a pole, a flagstaff, a monument, etc.
  4. To lift up; to elevate; to exalt; to magnify.
    • Daniel
      that didst his state above his hopes erect
    • Dryden
      I, who am a party, am not to erect myself into a judge.
  5. To animate; to encourage; to cheer.
    • Barrow
      It raiseth the dropping spirit, erecting it to a loving complaisance.
  6. (astrology) To cast or draw up (a figure of the heavens, horoscope etc.).
    • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 332:
      In 1581 Parliament made it a statutory felony to erect figures, cast nativities, or calculate by prophecy how long the Queen would live or who would succeed her.
  7. To set up as an assertion or consequence from premises, etc.
    • Sir Thomas Browne
      to erect conclusions.
    • John Locke
      Malebranche erects this proposition.
  8. To set up or establish; to found; to form; to institute.
    • Hooker
      to erect a new commonwealth

Synonyms

Translations

Anagrams

Etymology

From Latin ērectus ‎(“upright”), past participle of erigere ‎(“raise, set up”), from e- ‎(“up”) + regere ‎(“to direct, keep straight, guide”).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɛkt

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