erect
adjective
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Definition of erect
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : vertical in position also : not spread out or decumbent an erect plant stem columns still erect in the ruins
b : standing up or out from the body erect hairs
c : characterized by firm or rigid straightness in bodily posture an erect bearing
2 archaic : directed upward
4 : being in a state of physiological erection
erect
verbDefinition of erect (Entry 2 of 2)
1a(1) : to put up by the fitting together of materials or parts : build
(2) : to fix in an upright position
(3) : to cause to stand up or stand out
b archaic : to direct upward
c : to change (an image) from an inverted to a normal position
2 : to elevate in status
5 : to draw or construct (something, such as a perpendicular or figure) upon a given base
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Other Words from erect
Adjective
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adverb
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noun
Verb
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adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for erect
Synonyms: Adjective
perpendicular, plumb, raised, standing, stand-up, upright, upstanding, vertical
Synonyms: Verb
assemble, build, confect, construct, fabricate, make, make up, piece, put up, raise, rear, set up
Antonyms: Adjective
Antonyms: Verb
demount, disassemble, dismantle, dismember, knock down, strike, take down, tear down
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Examples of erect in a Sentence
Adjective
She sat erect, listening for her name. a lone tree remained erect after the terrible tornado had passedVerb
The city erected a statue in his honor. They erected a marker over the grave.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
This hybrid of two European/Asian species grows to be an almost architectural plant to about 5-feet tall with narrow, erect shape. — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "For your Kentucky gardens, ornamental grasses are the way to go," 1 June 2018 The 5-7 Stanhope runs with erect posture and striking fluidity. — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, "From home-schooled runner to state champ? This Pike half-miler is on track," 15 May 2018 Natalie Mueller is an archaeobotanist at Cornell University who has spent years hunting for erect knotweed across the southern US and up into Ohio and Illinois. — Annalee Newitz, Ars Technica, "Hunting for the ancient lost farms of North America," 26 Jan. 2018 At up to 12 meters tall, these spindly species were topped by a clump of erect branches vaguely resembling modern palm trees and lived a whopping 393 million to 372 million years ago. — Giorgia Guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: Yellowstone’s supervolcano, new CRISPR tools, and the odd growth strategy of ancient trees," 27 Oct. 2017 Asian elephants typically show distress with erect tails and flared ears; vocalizations such as trumpeting, rumbling, or roaring; and sudden defecation and urination. — National Geographic, "Elephants Comfort Comrades During Rescue in China," 7 Nov. 2016 Fact One: Bruce Wayne is a self-indulgent finance bro who cosplays as a bat with erect nipples. — Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, "The Only Bad Part About 'Wonder Woman' Was Batman Sliding into Her Proverbial DMs," 6 June 2017 Gen. Robert E. Lee stood erect, arms crossed over his chest, as his statue was ousted from its prominent 133-year perch in the heart of New Orleans. — Jenny Jarvie, latimes.com, "New Orleans removes a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from its perch of 133 years," 19 May 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
In recent weeks, protesters erected barricades in cities across Nicaragua to keep out government forces, including at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, or UNAN, which students have occupied over the past two months. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "Two killed as pro-government militia traps protesters in Nicaraguan church," 14 July 2018 In the hunt, scientists have erected detectors in a South Dakota cavern a mile underground, at the bottom of Lake Baikal in Siberia, under a mountain in Japan, and on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea. — Robert Lee Hotz, WSJ, "Scientists Track Neutrinos Through Ice to Their Source in the Cosmos," 12 July 2018 But after hurricanes repeatedly flooded communities and farm fields to the south, the Corps erected the 143-mile long Herbert Hoover Dike in the 1940s. — Jenny Staletovich, miamiherald, "$500 million pledged to fix Lake O's aging dike. The algae crisis is another matter," 6 July 2018 On many streets, the rebels have dug trenches and erected sand barricades, preparing for possible street-by-street clashes against the coalition forces, residents said. — Ali Al Mujahed, Washington Post, "Thousands flee key Yemeni port city as Hodeida offensive continues," 5 July 2018 In Paris’s oldest basketball court, the pair erected a tropical paradise with neon flowers, lemon verbena wafting about, and the chirping sounds of Aussie birds on the soundtrack. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Romance Was Born Brings Its “Kinda Couture” to Paris," 3 July 2018 The company also erected a tent roughly the length of two football fields behind its factory to assemble Model 3 sedans, an idea that some auto industry veterans derided as crazy. — David R. Baker, SFChronicle.com, "Tesla factory production jumps, and Model 3 hits elusive goal," 2 July 2018 Despite withering heat, participants erected several tents around Eighth and Cherry Streets and resisted attempts by police to move them away from the ICE office. — Robert Moran, Philly.com, "Protesters set up camp outside Philly ICE office," 2 July 2018 Just one day after Rockets guard James Harden was named the NBA MVP, Houston Realtor Nancy Almodovar erected a billboard along the 610 Loop near San Felipe in an effort to lure LeBron to Houston. — Maggie Gordon, Houston Chronicle, "The LeBron billboards keep coming," 27 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'erect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for erect
erect
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of erect
(Entry 1 of 2)
: straight up and down
: in a state of erection because of sexual excitement : swollen and stiff
erect
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of erect (Entry 2 of 2)
: to build (something) by putting together materials
: to set or place (something) so that it stands up
See the full definition for erect in the English Language Learners Dictionary
erect
adjective
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Kids Definition of erect
(Entry 1 of 2)
: straight up and down an erect tree The soldiers stood erect.
erect
verbKids Definition of erect (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to put up by fitting together materials or parts erect a tent
2 : to set or place straight up erect a flagpole
erect
adjective
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Medical Definition of erect
1 : standing up or out from the body erect hairs
2 : being in a state of physiological erection
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erect
transitive verbLegal Definition of erect
: to give legal existence to by a formal act of authority no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other State — U.S. Constitution art. IV
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