Definitions of collateral:

  • noun:   a security pledged for the repayment of a loan
  • adjective:   descended from a common ancestor but through different lines
    Example: "Cousins are collateral relatives"
  • adjective:   situated or running side by side
    Example: "Collateral ridges of mountains"
  • adjective:   accompaniment to something else
    Example: "Collateral target damage from a bombing run"
  • adjective:   serving to support or corroborate
    Example: "Collateral evidence"