[ad. L. ērect-us, pa. pple. of ērigĕre to set up, f. ē out + regĕre to direct.] A. adj.
1. Upright, in an upright posture; not bending forward or downward. Of straight lines and plane surfaces: Vertical. Erect vision, the fact that we see objects ‘the right way up,’ notwithstanding the inverted position of the retinal image. Erect dial: see DIAL.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s T., 9. The schade of every tree Was in the lengthe the same quantite That was the body erecte, that caused it.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.), p. lvi. Whether that thy lord sit or yet stande erect Stil must thou stande.
1593. T. Fale, Dialling, 3. When the plat standeth upright, it maketh a right angle with the Horizon and is called Erect.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., IV. i. 180. Birds or flying animals, are so farre from this kinde of pronenesse, that they are almost erect.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 665/115–6. A Snake … in his Summer Liv’ry rowls along: Erect, and brandishing his forky Tongue.
1726. trans. Gregory’s Astron., I. 362. The erect or vertical Diameter of the Luminary seems contracted.
1799. J. Wood, Elem. Optics, vii. (1811), 148. An erect image of the figure intended to be represented.
1841. Brewster, Mart. Sc., III. ii. (1856), 184. He ascribed erect vision to an operation of the mind.
1863. Fr. A. Kemble, Resid. in Georgia, 42. The figures of some of the women are handsome,… erect and good.
1872. Blackie, Lays Highl., 89. Erect with majesty severe The Buchail More upshoots his Titan cone.
b. Used Bot. and Her. in general sense.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 115/1. Erect Flowers, [are] such as grow upright without hanging the head.
1766–87. Porny, Heraldry, Gloss., Erect or Erected … said of anything upright, or perpendicularly elevated.
1811. A. T. Thomson, Lond. Disp. (1818), 256. The stamens are erect, and longer than the corolla.
1880. Gray, Struct. Bot., vi. § 8. 277. Ovules are erect, when they rise from the very bottom of the cell.
1882. Cussans, Heraldry, vi. 95. Erect, when used in blazoning wings, signifies that the principal wing feathers make nearly a right angle with the back of the bird.
c. fig.
1672. Cave, Prim. Chr., II. vii. (1673), 195. A mind erect amongst the Ruines of a tottering Age.
1726. Ld. Lansdowne, Prog. Beauty, Poems 22 (J.).
| Let no vain Fear thy gen’rous Ardour tame, | |
| But stand erect, and sound as loud as Fame. |
1837. Thirlwall, Greece, IV. xxxiii. 321. A spirit as erect as the king’s tiara.
1878. Morley, Carlyle, Crit. Misc. Ser. I. 175. Here was, not indeed a way out, but a way of erect living within.
2. Chiefly participial: † a. Of the countenance: Not downcast, unabashed. Obs. b. Of the hands: Uplifted. c. Of the hair, tail of animals, etc.: Set up, rigid, bristling.
1618. Chapman, Hesiod, II. 33/542.
| Put not thy vrine out, with face erect, | |
| Against the sun, but sitting let if fall. |
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., I. 394. Her front erect with majesty she bore.
1708. J. Philips, Cyder, I. 14 (J.). Vain were Vows, And Plaints, and suppliant Hands, to Heav’n erect!
1735. Somerville, Chase, II. 91. With Ears And Tail erect, neighing he paws the ground.
1796. Burke, Regic. Peace, Wks. 1842, II. 326/1. It is an erect countenance, it is a firm adherence to principle … that assert our good faith and honour.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, II. XXIV. 403. With hair erect He stood, and motionless.
† 3. fig. Of the mind: Uplifted, directed upwards; alert, attentive. Obs.
1544. Litany, in Priv. Prayers (1851), 570. Having their minds erect to Almighty God.
1626. Bacon, Sylva (1637), § 266. It conduceth much to haue the Sense Intentiue, and Erect.
1756. Burke, Subl. & B., I. xv. Just at the moment when their minds are erect with expectation.
† B. sb. Obs. rare.
In order to facilitate the attainment of uniformity in type-founding, Moxon proposed to divide the square of the height of each kind of type into smaller squares by 42 vertical lines (erects) and 42 horizontal lines (parallels).
1676. Moxon, Print Lett., 7. The Divisions that are imagined to be made between the Left Hand and the Right are called Erects. Ibid., 20. Set your Compasses to 9 … placing one Foot in Parallel 21, Erect 9.
