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Of or pertaining to the sides; as, the lateral walls of a house; the lateral branches of a tree.

The state or condition of being lateral.

By the side; sidewise; toward, or from, the side.

Of or pertaining to the two sides of a central area or organ, or of a central axis; as, bilateral symmetry in animals, where there is a similarity of parts on the right and left sides of the body.

State of being bilateral.

Coming from, being on, or directed toward, the side; as, collateral pressure. "Collateral light." Shak.

Side by side; by the side. These pulleys . . . placed collaterally. Bp. Wilkins.

The state of being collateral.

Having all the sides equal; as, an equilateral triangle; an equilateral polygon. Equilateral hyperbola (Geom.), one whose axes are equal. -- Equilateral shell (Zoöl.), one in which a transverse line drawn through the apex of the umbo bisects the valve, or divides it into two equal and symmetrical parts. -- Mutually e…

Having unequal sides; unsymmetrical; unequal-sided.

ng sides especially, having the form of a long parallelogram. Nineveh . . . was of a longilateral figure, ninety-five furlongs broad, and a hundred and fifty long. Sir T. Browne.

Having many sides; many-sided.

An area defended by four fortresses supporting each other; as, the Venetian quadrilateral, comprising Mantua, Peschiera, Verona, and Legnano. Complete quadrilateral (Geom.), the figure made up of the six straight lines that can be drawn through four points, A., B, C, I, the lines being supposed to be produced indefinit…

The property of being quadrilateral.

Having seven sides; as, a septilateral figure.

Having three sides; being three-sided; as, a trilateral triangle. -- Tri*lat"er*al*ly, adv. -- Tri*lat"er*al*ness, n.

Pertaining to one side; one-sided; as, a unilateral raceme, in which the flowers grow only on one side of a common axis, or are all turned to one side. Unilateral contract (Law), a contract or engagement requiring future action only by one party.

l plane or surface, usually capable of adjustment but not of manipulation, for preserving lateral balance in an aëroplane or flying machine.

Growing with one side adherent to a stem; -- a term applied to the lateral zooids of corals and other compound animals.

face capable of being manipulated by the pilot of a flying machine to preserve or destroy lateral balance; a hinged wing tip; a lateral stabilizing or balancing plane.