Dictionary

erection en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɪˈɹɛkʃən/ (UK)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ērectiō, ērectiōnis, noun of action from perfect passive participle ērectus, from verb erigō, from prefix ē- (“out of”) + regō, + action suffix -iō.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The act of building or putting up or together of something.
2. (countable) Anything erected or built.
   • The Empire State Building was once the world's tallest erection.
   • If any serious number of deck erections have been left unfaired, these percentages will be too low. 1948, George Stephen Baker, Ship Design, Resistance and Screw Propulsion, page 194:
3. (countable, uncountable) Formal approval and official establishment of an institution such as a society or a monastery by higher church authorities.
   • Concerns for its usefulness to the particular church and the institute should be seriously considered by the diocesan bishop and the major superior before the canonical erection of a house takes place. 2000, Rose M. McDermott, “Canon 610”, in John P. Beal et al., editors, New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, page 774:
   • If the erection of a society is made with pontifical authority, then the society is one of pontifical legal status from its inception. 1949, Bernard Joseph Ristuccia, Quasi-religious Societies: A Historical Synopsis and a Commentary, page 65:
   • There is some obscurity attaching to the only other one of those alleged erections of parishes, the case of Foot Dee, near Aberdeen. 1842, Patrick Robertson, Stewarton Case: Report of the Pleadings […] , page 43:
4. (uncountable) The physiological process by which erectile tissue, such as a penis or clitoris, becomes erect by being engorged with blood.
   • I think that the case also demonstrates some singular aspects of the penis as a narrator of tales, specifically the way in which the erection of a penis falls outside a man's conscious control and therefore threatens a carefully constructed master legal narrative in which bodily self-control graphically represents the self-government contemplated by a democratic legal society. 1997, Alan Hyde, Bodies of Law, Princeton University Press, published 1997, →ISBN, page 175:
   • A marriage was only consummated via erection, penetration, and insemination intra vas. 2007, Edward J. Behrend-Martinez, Unfit for Marriage: Impotent Spouses on Trial in the Basque Region of Spain, 1650-1750, University of Nevada Press, published 2007, →ISBN, page 14:
   • There are men who say they cannot bear to show themselves naked before women unless in a state of erection; and indeed through erection the flesh becomes activity, potency, […] 2006, Lori Marso, Feminist Thinkers and the Demands of Femininity: The Lives and Work of Intellectual Women, Routledge (2006), unnumbered pages (quoting Simone Beauvoir)
5. (of a penis or clitoris, uncountable) The state or quality of being erect from engorgement with blood.
   • […] but our experienc'd matron very soon, by chafing it with her hands, brought it to swell to that size and erection I had before seen it up to. 1749, [John Cleland], “(Please specify the letter or volume)”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC:
   • A very rare complication is priapism, where the penis maintains its erection for many hours. 2011, Alan L. Rubin, Diabetes for Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., published 2008, →ISBN, page 104:
   • Older men typically require longer periods of time to achieve erection and reach orgasm. 2008, Robert Crooks, Karla Baur, Our Sexuality, Thomson Wadsworth, published 2008, →ISBN, page 163:
6. (countable) A penis or clitoris that is erect.
   • The surge of hormones during puberty means you might have lots of erections, even when you don't want them—like during school. 2002, Marguerite Crump, No B.O.!: The Head-to-Toe Book of Hygiene for Preteens, Free Spirit Publishing, published 2005, →ISBN, page 85:
   • He placed his newspaper on his lap to hide his erection.
   • Nothing is more short-lived than the erection; like the crocus of spring, it is there for a moment, and then it is gone; one moment the penis is small, soft, and insignificant, and then in the next it is hard, rigid, and three and four times its previous size. 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 128:
   • He kissed her again, this time with a long, moist kiss that gave him an erection. 2007, Ken Follett, World Without End, Dutton, published 2007, →ISBN, page 244:
   • Prem was sure everyone could see his erection through his pants, everyone but Maya, who he had been careful to keep to his side all the time 2006, Abha Dawesar, That Summer in Paris, Anchor Books, published 2007, →ISBN, page 259:

Forms

Deriveds

piloerection · semierection · re-erection · erectionless · ptiloerection · nonerection · miserection

Relateds

erector · penis · erect · masturbate · erectile dysfunction · erect penis

Synonyms

construction · fatty · woody · tumescence · bonny · rager · prong · erection · tentigo · throbber · bonk-on · erection · bone · building · lob-on · wood · schlong · boner · stiffie · babymaker · surgation · lumber · chubby · rod-on · lead in one's pencil · pocket rocket · construction · stiffy · building · shaft · hard-on

Translations (154)

mt erezzjoni (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ru строи́тельство (act of building) · pl erekcja (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · da rejsning (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · he זיקפה (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · mi ure tora (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · gl erección (something erected or built) · hi स्तंभन (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · tr inşa (act of building) · aht -tsoggeʼ zaadi (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · cs erekce (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fi seisokki (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · sq ereksion (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · it erezione (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · grc στύμα (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · el οικοδόμηση (act of building) · tr ereksiyon (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · sk stoporenie (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · bg постройка (something erected or built) · tr inşa (something erected or built) · ca erecció (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ro erecție (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fi seisonta (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ja エレクション (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · yue 扯旗 (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · tr sertleşme (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · mk ерекција (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fr érection (act of building) · ast ereición (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fi rakentaminen (act of building) · uk ере́кція (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · az ereksiya (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · de Errichtung (act of building) · ja 勃起 (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · kmr repbûn (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · tr dikleşme (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · mk дигање (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · sk erekcia (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ar نُعُوظ (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · nb stå (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · tr ereksiyon (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · nl erectie (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · mr उभारणी (act of building) · bcl pagtugdok (act of building) · el οικοδομή (something erected or built) · uk ере́кція (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · bcl latog (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · sa हर्षण (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ja 建設 (act of building) · el οικοδόμημα (something erected or built) · ja 勃起 (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · pt ereção (something erected or built) · ja 建設物 (something erected or built) · ga éirí (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ru стоя́к (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · cs postavení (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · eo erektiĝo (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · da erektion (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · te స్తంభన (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fi erektio (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · tr dikme (act of building) · ja 建築物 (something erected or built) · gd togail (act of building) · fo standing (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · cs ztopoření (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · ne ठाडो हुनु (act of building) · la tentīgō (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · ru строе́ние (act of building) · bg ерекция (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · gl erección (act of building) · mk подигање (act of building) · pl erekcja (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · be эрэкцыя (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · yi אבֿר (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ka ერექცია (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · nn ereksjon (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · vi cương cứng (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fr érection (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · gl erección (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · pt ereção (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · bcl paglatog (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · gv çhionney (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · cs ztopoření (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · de Erektion (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · el ανέγερση (act of building) · hu erekció (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · la ērectiō (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · es erección (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fi rakennelma (something erected or built) · pl erekcja (act of building) · pt ereção (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · sh erèkcija (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fi pystytys (act of building) · ne ठाडो (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ru возведе́ние (act of building) · pl wzwód (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ru сооруже́ние (act of building) · fi erektio (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ta விறைப்பு (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · it erezione (act of building) · pl wzniesienie (act of building) · id ereksi (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · la verpa (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · la ērectiō (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · dv ކޮޅުވުން (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · el κτίσμα (something erected or built) · nn stå (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · hi निर्मित (something erected or built) · sa प्रहर्ष (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ja 建築 (act of building) · ar اِنْتِصَاب (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · tr dikleşme (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · tr inşa etme (act of building) · hu merevedés (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · pt ereção (act of building) · fr bandaison (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ko 발기 (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ru эре́кция (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · tr sertleşme (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · bg построяване (act of building) · la erectio (act of building) · ne ठाडो भएको (something erected or built) · et erektsioon (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fi jäykistyminen (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · sl erékcija (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · tl pag-iri (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fa شق کردن (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fa نعوظ (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · id ereksi (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · lt erekcija (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · yi קישוי (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · th การแข็งตัวขององคชาต (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · no reisning (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · tr şahlanma (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · nb ereksjon (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · pl wzwód (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · gl erección (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · el στύση (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · fi rakennus (something erected or built) · sh ерѐкција (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · hi निर्माण (act of building) · hi स्तंभन (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · id ereksi (act of building) · hy էրեկցիա (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ml ഉദ്ധാരണം (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect) · ms ereksi (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · cmn 勃起 (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · tr yapı (something erected or built) · sv stånd (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · sv erektion (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · id ngaceng (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · ru эре́кция (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · is standpína (rigid state of penis or clitoris) · es erección (physiology: process by which a penis becomes erect)