2 VERB If someone's authority, right, or confidence erodes or is eroded , it is gradually destroyed or removed. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] His critics say his fumbling of the issue of reform has eroded his authority. □ [V ] Her status as the world's leading female singer eroded rapidly.
3 VERB If the value of something erodes or is eroded by something such as inflation or age, its value decreases. □ [V n] Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits. □ [V ] The value of the dollar began to erode rapidly just around this time.
erog|enous / I rɒ dʒ I nəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An erogenous part of your body is one where sexual pleasure can be felt or caused. [FORMAL ] □ A bare ankle is the new erogenous zone.
ero|sion / I roʊ ʒ ə n/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Erosion is the gradual destruction and removal of rock or soil in a particular area by rivers, the sea, or the weather. □ As their roots are strong and penetrating, they prevent erosion. □ [+ of ] …erosion of the river valleys. □ …soil erosion.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The erosion of a person's authority, rights, or confidence is the gradual destruction or removal of them. □ [+ of ] …the erosion of confidence in world financial markets. □ [+ of ] …an erosion of presidential power.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The erosion of support, values, or money is a gradual decrease in its level or standard. □ [+ of ] …the erosion of moral standards. □ [+ of ] …a dramatic erosion of support for the program.
erot|ic / I rɒ t I k/
1 ADJ If you describe something as erotic , you mean that it involves sexual feelings or arouses sexual desire. □ It might sound like some kind of wild fantasy, but it wasn't an erotic experience at all. □ …photographs of nude women in erotic poses. ● eroti|cal|ly / I rɒ t I kli/ ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ The film is shot seductively, erotically.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Erotic art shows naked people or sexual acts, and is intended to produce feelings of sexual pleasure. □ Erotic paintings also became a fine art.
eroti|ca / I rɒ t I kə/ N‑UNCOUNT Erotica means works of art that show or describe sexual activity, and which are intended to arouse sexual feelings.
eroti|cism / I rɒ t I s I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Eroticism is sexual excitement, or the quality of being able to arouse sexual excitement. [FORMAL ] □ Almost all of Massenet's works are pervaded with an aura of eroticism.
err /ɜː r / (errs , erring , erred )
1 VERB If you err , you make a mistake. [FORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V + in ] It criticises the main contractor for seriously erring in its original estimates. □ [V ] If you make a threat be sure to carry it out if he errs again.
2 PHRASE If you err on the side of caution, for example, you decide to act in a cautious way, rather than take risks. □ They may be wise to err on the side of caution. □ He probably erred on the conservative rather than the generous side.
er|rand /e rənd/ (errands )
1 N‑COUNT An errand is a short trip that you make in order to do a job for someone, for example when you go to a shop to buy something for them. □ She went off on some errand.
2 PHRASE If you run an errand for someone, you do or get something for them, usually by making a short trip somewhere. □ She was forever running errands for her housebound grandmother.
er|rant /e rənt/ ADJ [ADJ n] Errant is used to describe someone whose actions are considered unacceptable or wrong by other people. For example, an errant husband is unfaithful to his partner. [FORMAL ] □ Usually his cases involved errant husbands and wandering wives.
er|rat|ic / I ræ t I k/ ADJ Something that is erratic does not follow a regular pattern, but happens at unexpected times or moves along in an irregular way. □ Argentina's erratic inflation rate threatens to upset the plans. ● er|rati|cal|ly / I ræ t I kli/ ADV □ Police stopped him for driving erratically.
er|ro|neous / I roʊ niəs/ ADJ Beliefs, opinions, or methods that are erroneous are incorrect or only partly correct. □ They did nothing to dispel his erroneous belief about the children's paternity. □ They have arrived at some erroneous conclusions. ● er|ro|neous|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ It had been widely and erroneously reported that Armstrong had refused to give evidence.
er|ror ◆◇◇ /e rə r / (errors )
1 N‑VAR An error is something you have done which is considered to be incorrect or wrong, or which should not have been done. □ [+ in ] NASA discovered a mathematical error in its calculations. □ [+ of ] MPs attacked lax management and errors of judgment.
2 PHRASE If you do something in error or if it happens in error , you do it or it happens because you have made a mistake, especially in your judgment. □ The plane was shot down in error by a NATO missile.
3 PHRASE If someone sees the error of their ways , they realize or admit that they have made a mistake or behaved badly. □ I wanted to talk some sense into him and make him see the error of his ways. COLLOCATIONS error NOUN 1
noun + error : driver, pilot; schoolboy
adjective + error : unforced; uncharacteristic; administrative, clerical, factual, tactical; costly, glaring, grave; basic, fundamental
verb + error : correct, rectify; make; admit SYNONYMS error NOUN 1