prep. & adv. [ AS. &aemacr_;r, prep., adv., & conj.; akin to OS., OFries., & OHG. ēr, G. eher, D. eer, Icel. ār, Goth. air. √204. Cf. Early, Erst, Or, adv. ] 1. Before; sooner than. [ Archaic or Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Myself was stirring ere the break of day. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ere sails were spread new oceans to explore. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sir, come down ere my child die. John iv. 49. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Rather than. [ 1913 Webster ]

I will be thrown into Etna, . . . ere I will leave her. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ere long, before, shortly. Shak. --
Ere now, formerly, heretofore. Shak. --
Ere that, and
Or are. Same as Ere. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To plow. [ Obs. ] See Ear, v. t. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;. ] 1. (Greek Myth.) A place of nether darkness, being the gloomy space through which the souls passed to Hades. See Milton's “Paradise Lost, ” Book II., line 883. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Greek Myth.) The son of Chaos and brother of Nox, who dwelt in Erebus. [ 1913 Webster ]

To the infernal deep, with Erebus and tortures vile. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect -- a column of ruins. Gibbon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Directed upward; raised; uplifted. [ 1913 Webster ]

His piercing eyes, erect, appear to view
Superior worlds, and look all nature through. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Bold; confident; free from depression; undismayed. [ 1913 Webster ]

But who is he, by years
Bowed, but erect in heart? Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Watchful; alert. [ 1913 Webster ]

Vigilant and erect attention of mind. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Bot.) Standing upright, with reference to the earth's surface, or to the surface to which it is attached. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Her.) Elevated, as the tips of wings, heads of serpents, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To rise upright. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

By wet, stalks do erect. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To lift up; to elevate; to exalt; to magnify. [ 1913 Webster ]

That didst his state above his hopes erect. Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

I, who am a party, am not to erect myself into a judge. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To animate; to encourage; to cheer. [ 1913 Webster ]

It raiseth the dropping spirit, erecting it to a loving complaisance. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To set up or establish; to found; to form; to institute. “To erect a new commonwealth.” Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

Erecting shop (Mach.), a place where large machines, as engines, are put together and adjusted.

Syn. -- To set up; raise; elevate; construct; build; institute; establish; found. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>a. Capable of being erected; as, an erectable feather. Col. G. Montagu. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An erector; one who raises or builds. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. érectile. ] 1. Capable of being erected; susceptible of being erected of dilated; as, erectile tissue. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to an erection{ 5 }; as, erectile dysfunction. [ PJC ]

Erectile tissue (Anat.), a tissue, such as that contained in the penis, which is capable of being greatly dilated and made rigid by accumulation of blood in and the consequent distension of the numerous blood vessels which it contains. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being erectile. [ 1913 Webster ]