What does the cryptic crossword clue "Up before court (5)" mean?

The definition is "Up". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). ERE (synonym of "before") + CT (synonym of "court"); definition: "Up" The answer is ERECT.

Up before court (5)

Guardian Cryptic #27169 | 3 Down | 2017-04-12 flower

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Also seen in

Independent Cryptic #11923 (2024-12-26) Telegraph #30314 (2023-05-31)