The Collaborative International Dictionary
Collateral \Col*lat"er*al\, a. [LL. collateralis; col- + lateralis lateral. See Lateral.]
Coming from, being on, or directed toward, the side; as, collateral pressure. ``Collateral light.''
--Shak.-
Acting in an indirect way.
If by direct or by collateral hand They find us touched, we will our kingdom give . . . To you in satisfaction.
--Shak. -
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.
That he [Attebury] was altogether in the wrong on the main question, and on all the collateral questions springing out of it, . . . is true.
--Macaulay. -
Tending toward the same conclusion or result as something else; additional; as, collateral evidence.
Yet the attempt may give Collateral interest to this homely tale.
--Wordsworth. -
(Genealogy) Descending from the same stock or ancestor, but not in the same line or branch or one from the other; -- opposed to lineal. Note: Lineal descendants proceed one from another in a direct line; collateral relations spring from a common ancestor, but from different branches of that common stirps or stock. Thus the children of brothers are collateral relations, having different fathers, but a common grandfather. --Blackstone. Collateral assurance, that which is made, over and above the deed itself. Collateral circulation (Med. & Physiol.), circulation established through indirect or subordinate branches when the supply through the main vessel is obstructed. Collateral issue. (Law)
An issue taken upon a matter aside from the merits of the case.
An issue raised by a criminal convict who pleads any matter allowed by law in bar of execution, as pardon, diversity of person, etc.
-
A point raised, on cross-examination, aside from the issue fixed by the pleadings, as to which the answer of the witness, when given, cannot subsequently be contradicted by the party asking the question.
Collateral security, security for the performance of covenants, or the payment of money, besides the principal security.
collateral damage, (Mil.) damage caused by a military operation, such as a bombing, to objects or persons not themselves the intended target of the attack.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
by 1873 in legal cases; in modern use, generally a euphemism for "the coincidental killing of civilians," U.S. coinage, c.1968, at first generally with reference to nuclear weapons.
WordNet
n. (euphemism) inadvertent casualties and destruction inflicted on civilians in the course of military operations
Wikipedia
Collateral damage is a general term for deaths, injuries, or other damage inflicted on an unintended target. In military terminology, it is frequently used for the incidental killing or wounding of non-combatants or damage to non-combatant property during an attack on a legitimate military target. The unintentional destruction of friendly targets is called friendly fire.
Critics of the term see it as a euphemism that dehumanizes non-combatants killed or injured during combat, used to reduce the perception of culpability of military leadership in failing to prevent non-combatant casualties.
"Collateral Damage" is the second episode of the second season of the HBO original series, The Wire. The episode was written by David Simon from a story by Simon and Ed Burns and was directed by Ed Bianchi. It originally aired on June 8, 2003.
Collateral damage is a U.S. military term for unintended or incidental damage during a military operation.
Collateral damage may also refer to:
Collateral Damage is a 2002 American action film directed by Andrew Davis, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elias Koteas, Francesca Neri, Cliff Curtis, John Leguizamo and John Turturro. The film was released in the United States on February 8, 2002.
The film tells the story of Los Angeles firefighter, Gordon Brewer (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who seeks to avenge his son and wife's death at the hands of a guerrilla commando, by traveling to Colombia and facing his family's killers. The original script for the film had the same plotline but would have addressed American policy in the Middle East by taking place in Libya; director Davis and his screenwriters chose Colombia as the new location because that hadn't been used as extensively and touched on a current geopolitical conflict area. Noted anti-war activist Stan Goff was hired as a consultant but later described the film as horrible and stated that taking on the job was the worst mistake he'd ever made.
"Collateral Damage" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the crime- thriller television series Millennium. It premiered on the Fox network on January 22, 1999. The episode was written by Michael R. Perry, and directed by Thomas J. Wright.
In this episode, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Frank Black ( Lance Henriksen) and Emma Hollis ( Klea Scott) investigate the kidnapping of the daughter of Millennium Group member Peter Watts ( Terry O'Quinn), which may be connected to the testing of a pathogen during the Gulf War.
"Collateral Damage" featured guest appearances by O'Quinn, Jacinda Barrett, James Marsters, and radio host Art Bell as himself. The episode was well-received critically, and was viewed by approximately 5.6 million households during its initial broadcast.
Usage examples of "collateral damage".
It didn't cause any collateral damage to any of the deeply set trees that were within 20 feet of it.
How do you think he'll react to dropping bombs on people who haven't even been indicted - and what about that 'collateral damage' you were so cavalier about?
It is unfortunate and I do my best to avoid this, but collateral damage happens.
Large-caliber Hellbore fire would cause unacceptable collateral damage, including serious casualties among the regimental staff.
It'll be a lot easier to take him out where he is, without too much in the way of collateral damage.
When enemy tanks and refugees are sharing the road, collateral damage is unavoidable.
So it started walking, first lumbering like Mickie and, like Mickie perhaps, hoping very much for the chance collision that would change his life but, in its despair, running at full gallop, and Heaven alone knew where it would finish up or at what speed, or what collateral damage it might cause before it stopped, or whether by some freak of German over-engineering the pram sequence from some Russian film that Pendel had forgotten the name of had been programmed into one of its sealed units.
Plevetskaya's got enough reserve speed to hold station for the moment, but her people report signs of collateral damage in Drive One.
Instead, multiphase projectiles -- the high-powered artillery shells recommended by the Great Convention to restrict collateral damage -- would do the job.