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iliary; helping; tributary; especially, aiding in an inferior position or capacity; as, a subsidiary stream. Chief ruler and principal head everywhere, not suffragant and subsidiary. Florio. They constituted a useful subsidiary testimony of another state of existence. Coleridge.

Something annexed or appended; as, an additional stipulation to a writing, a subsidiary building to a main building; a wing.

A subordinate or subsidiary part or organ; an external organ or limb, esp. of the articulates. Antennæ and other appendages used for feeling. Carpenter.

An acute and rugged crest of a mountain range or a subsidiary ridge between two mountain gorges.

Conferring aid or help; helping; aiding; assisting; subsidiary; as auxiliary troops. Auxiliary scales (Mus.), the scales of relative or attendant keys. See under Attendant, a. -- Auxiliary verbs (Gram.). See Auxiliary, n., 3.

A law that is less important than a general law or constitutional provision, and subsidiary to it; a rule relating to a matter of detail; as, civic societies often adopt a constitution and by-laws for the government of their members. In this sense the word has probably been influenced by by, meaning secondary or aside.…

on a coin or medal. It usually contains the date, place, engraver's name, etc., or other subsidiary matter. Fairholt.

A term applied to certain nerve centers which govern or restrain subsidiary centers, from which motor impressions issue. McKendrick.

In a subsidiary manner; so as to assist.

Subordinate action; a minor action incidental or subsidiary to the main story; an episode. The least episodes or underactions . . . are parts necessary or convenient to carry on the main design. Dryden.