(usually plural) a part of a fruit or vegetable that is pared or cut off; especially the skin or peel; "she could peel an apple with a single long paring"
a thin fragment or slice (especially of wood) that has been shaved from something
upright in position or posture; "an erect stature"; "erect flower stalks"; "for a dog, an erect tail indicates aggression"; "a column still vertical amid the ruins"; "he sat bolt upright"
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune; "lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system"; "his policies were a disaster"