erect

views updated

e·rect / iˈrekt/ • adj. rigidly upright or straight: she stood erect with her arms by her sides. ∎  (of the penis, clitoris, or nipples) enlarged and rigid, esp. in sexual excitement. ∎  (of hair) standing up from the skin; bristling.• v. [tr.] construct (a building, wall, or other upright structure): the guest house was erected in the eighteenth century. ∎  put into position and set upright (a barrier, statue, or other object): the police had erected roadblocks. ∎  create or establish (a theory or system): the party that erected the welfare state.DERIVATIVES: e·rect·a·ble adj.e·rect·ly adv.e·rect·ness n.

More From encyclopedia.com