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ancillary - 8 dictionary results

an⋅cil⋅lar⋅y

  [an-suh-ler-ee or, especially Brit., an-sil-uh-ree] adjective, noun, plural -lar⋅ies.
Use ancillary in a Sentence
–adjective
1. subordinate; subsidiary.
2. auxiliary; assisting.
–noun
3. something that serves in an ancillary capacity: Slides, records, and other ancillaries can be used with the basic textbook.
Origin:
1660–70; < L ancill(a) (see ancilla ) + -ary; cf. L ancillāris having the status of a female slave, with -āris -ar 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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an·cil·lar·y   (ān'sə-lěr'ē)   
adj.  
  1. Of secondary importance: "For Degas, sculpture was never more than ancillary to his painting" (Herbert Read).
  2. Auxiliary; helping: an ancillary pump.
n.   pl. an·cil·lar·ies
  1. Something, such as a workbook, that is subordinate to something else, such as a textbook.
  2. Archaic A servant.

[From Latin ancilla, maidservant, feminine diminutive of anculus, servant; see kwel-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Ancillary

An"cil*la*ry\, a. [L. ancillaris, fr. ancilla a female servant.] Subservient or subordinate, like a handmaid; auxiliary.

The Convocation of York seems to have been always considered as inferior, and even ancillary, to the greater province. --Hallam.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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ancillary 
1667, "subservient, subordinate," from L. ancillaris "relating to maidservants," dim. of ancilla "handmaid," fem. dim. of anculus "servant," lit. "he who bustles about," from root of ambi- "about" + PIE *kwol-o-, from base *kwel- "move round, turn about, be much about" (see cycle).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: an·cil·lary
Pronunciation: 'an-s&-"ler-E, an-'si-l&-rE
Function: adjective
1 : having a subordinate, subsidiary, or secondary nature <ancillary functions> ancillary agreement>
2 : serving as a supplement or addition <ancillary documents>
3 : directly related <ancillary claims>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Main Entry: 1an·cil·lary
Pronunciation: 'an(t)-s&-"ler-E, esp Brit an-'sil-&-rE
Function: adjective
: being auxiliaryor supplementary ancillary to surgical treatment>

Main Entry: 2ancillary
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -lar·ies
British : one who assists or serves another personancillaries under the direction of the General Dental Council —Lancet>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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ancillary an·cil·lar·y (ān'sə-lěr'ē)
adj.
Relating to or being auxiliary or secondary.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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