collateral

collateral definition - medical

col·lat·er·al (kə-lătˈər-əl)

adjective
  1. Indirect, subsidiary, or accessory to the main thing.
  2. Having an ancestor in common but descended from a different line.
noun
  1. A branch of a nerve axon or blood vessel.
  2. A collateral relative.

Related Forms:

  • col·latˈer·al·ly adverb

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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