Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The act of erecting.
  • noun Something erected; a construction.
  • noun The firm, enlarged condition of a usually flaccid body part when the tissue within it becomes filled with blood, especially of the penis or clitoris.
  • noun The process of filling with blood.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In astrology, the construction of a scheme or figure of the heavens.
  • noun The act of erecting, or setting upright; a raising or lifting up; a stiffening or bristling up: as, the erection of a flagstaff or of a building; the erection of drooping leaves or of a crest of feathers.
  • noun The state of being erect.
  • noun The act of building or constructing: as, the erection of a church.
  • noun That which is erected, especially a building or structure of any kind: as, there are many ancient erections of unknown use.
  • noun The act of establishing or founding; establishment; settlement; formation; institution: as, the erection of a commonwealth; the erection of a bishopric or of an earldom.
  • noun The act of raising from a lower position or condition to a higher; elevation: as, the erection of a church into a cathedral.
  • noun Elevation or exaltation of sentiments.
  • noun The act of rousing; excitation.
  • noun In physiology, turgidity and rigidity of a part into which erectile tissue enters: specifically said chiefly of the penis and clitoris.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of erecting, or raising upright; the act of constructing, as a building or a wall, or of fitting together the parts of, as a machine; the act of founding or establishing, as a commonwealth or an office; also, the act of rousing to excitement or courage.
  • noun The state of being erected, lifted up, built, established, or founded; exaltation of feelings or purposes.
  • noun State of being stretched to stiffness; tension.
  • noun Anything erected; a building of any kind.
  • noun (Physiol.) The state of a body part which, from having been soft, has become hard and swollen by the accumulation of blood in the erectile tissue; -- used especially of the penis.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable The act of building or putting up or together of something; construction.
  • noun uncountable Anything erected or built.
  • noun physiology The physiological process by which a penis becomes erect by being engorged with blood.
  • noun A penis or clitoris that has become rigid.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an erect penis
  • noun a structure that has been erected
  • noun the act of building or putting up

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin erectio, noun of action from perfect passive participle erectus, from verb erigere, from prefix e- ("out of") + regere, + action suffix -io.

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Examples

Comments

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  • This one sees use in steam engine design. A key drawing for understanding such a machine is the erection drawing. It provides a side overview of the completed engine.

    September 23, 2008

  • "The gallows stood in a small yard, separate from the main grounds of the prison, and overgrown with tall prickly weeds. It was a brick erection like three sides of a shed, with planking on top, and above that two beams and a crossbar with the rope dangling."

    - George Orwell, 'A Hanging'.

    September 9, 2009

  • "Never waste an erection". A fundamental tenet of my ex-brother-in-law's philosophy.

    September 9, 2009

  • That tenet seems to inform us as to why he is an "ex".

    September 9, 2009