any thing, place, country, &c. situated by the side of another.

in genealogy, those relations which proceed from the same stock, but not in the same line of ascendants or descendants, but being, as it were, aside of each other.

Thus, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and cousins, are collaterals, or in the same collateral line: those in a higher degree, and nearer the common root, represent a kind of paternity with regard to those more remote.

COLLATERAL succession, in Scots law: When a deceased, for want of heirs descended of himself, is succeeded in his estate by a brother or sister, or their descendents, the estate is said to have gone to collateral heirs. See Scots Law, title, Succession in heritable rights.