adj. 1. Of secondary importance; subordinate: "For Degas, sculpture was never more than ancillary to his painting" (Herbert Read). 2. Auxiliary or accessory: an ancillary pump. n. pl. an·cil·lar·ies 1. Something that is subordinate or accessory to something else: a tripod, battery charger, and other camera ancillaries. 2. A person working in a supportive or subordinate role: school ancillaries who look after children who become sick. [From Latin ancilla, maidservant, feminine diminutive of anculus, servant; see kwel-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
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