Etymology: (1350–1400; ME (< AF) < ML collaterālis= L col-col -1+laterālislateral)
Definition of 'collateral'
Princeton's WordNet
1. (adj)collateral a security pledged for the repayment of a loan
2. (adj)collateral, indirect descended from a common ancestor but through different lines "cousins are collateral relatives"; "an indirect descendant of the Stuarts"
3. (adj)collateral, confirmative, confirming, confirmatory, corroborative, corroboratory, substantiating, substantiative, validating, validatory, verificatory, verifying serving to support or corroborate "collateral evidence"
4. (adj)collateral accompany, concomitant "collateral target damage from a bombing run"
5. (adj)collateral situated or running side by side "collateral ridges of mountains"
Definition of 'collateral'
Webster Dictionary
1. (adj)collateral coming from, being on, or directed toward, the side; as, collateralpressure
3. (adj)collateral related to, but not strictly a part of, the main thing or matter under consideration; hence, subordinate; not chief or principal; as, collateral interest; collateral issues
4. (adj)collateral tending toward the same conclusion or result as something else; additional; as, collateral evidence
5. (adj)collateral descending from the same stock or ancestor, but not in the same line or branch or one from the other; -- opposed to lineal
Definitions of collateral 
