a. and sb. [ad. L. subsidiārius, f. subsidium: see SUBSIDIUM. Cf. F. subsidiaire, It. sussidiario, Sp., Pg. subsidiario.]
1. Serving to help, assist or supplement; furnishing assistance or supplementary supplies; auxiliary, tributary, supplementary. (Chiefly of things.)
1543. Joye, G. J. confuteth Winch. Art., fol. ij. Iustified by thonelye faith in him, and by nothing els as by any subsydiary attaynment … vnto this full iustificacion in christe.
1613. R. C., Table Alph., Subsidiarie, that is giuen or set to aide another.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 74. A bloud-like vapor which returneth into the veines, and so becommeth for want of better, a subsidiarie nourishment of the partes.
1627. Donne, Serm., xliv. (1640), 442. In these subsidiary gods, these occasional gods, there could be no Omnipotence, no Almightinesse.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. iii. 64/1. A Suffragan Bishop, or Subsidiary Bishop.
1731. Arbuthnot, Aliments, VI. viii. (1735), 235. Howsoever they [sc. bitter Substances] may be acceptable to some one Part, that is … that they are a sort of subsidiary Gall.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., V. iii. II. 545. [A sinking fund] is a subsidiary fund always at hand to be mortgaged in aid of any other doubtful fund.
1805–17. R. Jameson, Char. Min., 159. The decrements on these last faces are considered as subsidiary, to favour the action of the principal decrement.
1832. Brewster, Nat. Magic, v. (1833), 110. The inflammation … of the ignited gas will be sustained by these four subsidiary flames.
1864. Power, Logic, vi. 150. Concerning the nature of the objects delivered by the Subsidiary Faculties.
1872. Yeats, Techn. Hist. Comm., 211. We must mention the development of printing and the subsidiary art of paper-making.
1903. Daily Chron., 26 Oct., 3/5. Bishop Subsidiary of Caerleon.
b. Const. to.
1663. Waterhouse, Comm. Fortescue’s De Laud. Legum Angliæ, 398. The Commoners of England being landed, are so subsidiary to their Princes and Laws in all kindes of aid and duty.
1679. Evelyn, Sylva (ed. 3), To Rdr. A 3. An infinity of solitary, and loose Experiments subsidiary to it.
a. 1740. Waterland, Enq. conc. Inf. Commun., v. As soon as Baptism became impaired, the Use of the Eucharist ought to come in as subsidiary, or supplemental to it.
1836. Keble, Serm., viii. (1848), 200. A system of tradition, subsidiary to the Scriptures, might yet exist in the commonwealth or city of God.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. v. 380. This was his first object, to which every other was subsidiary.
1868. M. Pattison, Academ. Org., v. 122. The College is subsidiary to the University.
1875. Gladstone, Glean., VI. xxxix. 130. No ritual is too much, provided it is subsidiary to the inner work of worship.
c. Technical uses.
Subsidiary cells (Bot.): certain epidermal cells which are less thickened or situated lower than the guard-cells which they surround. Subsidiary coin: coins of the lower denominations; U.S. silver coinage of lower denomination than the dollar. Subsidiary goal (Polo): see quot. 1899. Subsidiary quantity or symbol (Math.): see quot. 1842.
1842. Penny Cycl., XXIII. 196. Subsidiary. A quantity or symbol is so called when it is not essentially a part of a problem, but is introduced to help in the solution. The term is particularly applied to angles, since the trigonometrical tables give a great power over their management, which causes their frequent introduction.
1863. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., III. xv. (1876), 480. Our copper and silver money are to be regarded as subsidiary coinage.
1884. Bower & Scott, De Bary’s Phaner., 45. The superficial stomata first developed are surrounded by several partitioned zones of subsidiary cells.
1899. J. M. Brown’s Polo, 377 (Badm. Libr.). A subsidiary goal is obtained in the same way as a true goal, except that to score a subsidiary goal the ball must pass between the subsidiary goal mark and the goal-post which is nearest to it. Subsidiary goals are to be measured 11 feet from each goal-post on the outside.
d. Of a stream: Tributary. Similarly of a valley.
1834. Pringle, Afr. Sk., vii. 246. We slept one night at the mouth of a subsidiary dell.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., III. II. i. All manner of subsidiary streams and brooks of bitterness flowing in.
1845. McCulloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 39. The subsidiary streams that fall into the Trent.
1914. Sir J. French, Disp., 8 Oct., in Times, 19 Oct., 9/6. The general plateau on the south is divided by a subsidiary valley of much the same character, down which the small River Vesle flows to the main stream.
2. With the notion of helping or supplementing weakened or obscured: Subordinate, secondary.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res. (1858), 17. The others are only subsidiary species, or slight varieties.
1867. J. Hogg, Microsc., I. ii. 68. When any system of waves meets with an obstacle, subsidiary systems of undulation will be formed.
1875. Whitney, Life Lang., ix. 166. Its legion of subsidiary dialectic forms.
1883. R. H. Scott, Elem. Meteorol., 38. Lesser eddies are found on the outskirts of the original depression…. At times these latter ‘secondary,’ ‘subsidiary,’ or ‘satellite’ depressions, as they are called, develop greater energy than their primaries.
3. † a. Consisting of a subsidy or subsidies.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., Ded. That honourable assemblie hath … presented to your Maiestie a subsidiarie beneuolence.
1637. Saltonstall, Eusebius’ Constantine, 7. The most royall Emperour after their departure, summoned those againe that had sent in their Subsidiary money.
1640. Culpepper, in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1692), I. 34. As soon as the House was setled, a Subsidiary Aid and Supply was propounded.
b. Depending on a subsidy or subsidies: in subsidiary treaty (cf. SUBSIDY 3 b, 4).
1755. H. Walpole, Lett. (1840), III. 158. All the world revolted against subsidiary treaties.
1902. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 10), XXIX. 453/2. Lord Wellesley introduced that system of subsidiary treaties which has played so important a part in the expansion of British dominion.
c. Maintained or retained by subsidies.
1802. C. James, Milit. Dict., Subsidiary Troops, troops of one nation assisting those of another for a given sum or subsidy.
1864. Burton, Scot. Abr., I. iii. 134. Both the British countries were in some measure subsidiary and protected states.
B. sb.
† 1. The levy of a subsidy. Obs. rare–1.
1592. Greene, Upst. Courtier (1871), 4. Their fathers were not above three pounds in the Kings books at a Subsidiary.
2. A subsidiary thing; something that furnishes assistance or additional supplies; an aid, auxiliary. Now rare.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, II. xii. 255. These considerations ought to be applied and employed to our beleefe, but as Subsidiaries.
a. 1660. Hammond, Serm. (Phil. iv. 13), Wks. 1684, IV. 573. Which deceitful consideration drew on Pelagius himself, that was first only for nature, at last to take in one after another, five Subsidiaries more.
1697. Evelyn, Numismata, vii. 251. Images of the Gods and Goddesses, with other Subsidiaries. Ibid. (a. 1706), Mem. (1819), II. 206. I … shall not be able to do it with any satisfaction, unlesse yr Lop favour me with the com’unication of the subsidiaries in yr Cabinet.
1796. Burney, Mem. Metastasio, I. 327. If, in despight of so many subsidiaries, you should be of a different opinion.
1808. Han. More, Cœlebs, xxiii. As to the lectures … they may be doubtless made very useful subsidiaries to instruction.
1824. L. Murray, Engl. Gram. (ed. 5), I. 64. All other sorts of words must be regarded as subsidiaries.
b. An assistant.
1807. Robinson, Archæol. Græca, I. xiii. 58. The number of senators was again augmented…. To these fifty a similar number of subsidiaries was added.
1881. Blackw. Mag., April, 507. The building is occupied by three priests and a few subsidiaries.
c. Technical uses: (a) Mus. A theme of inferior importance, subordinate to the first or second subject. (b) Stock Exch. A subsidiary company. (c) Polo. A subsidiary goal.
1883. Grove’s Dict. Mus., s.v., In some cases a Subsidiary acquires so much importance in the working out as to rank as a third subject.
1898. Westm. Gaz., 22 March, 8/2. The whole question of the value of Randfontein lies … in the way its numerous subsidiaries turn out. Ibid. (1901), 14 Jan., 9/1. The shares of the Corporation, which then stood at 1s. 11/2d., now stand at 6d., and it wants its shareholders to take the shares of these subsidiaries and provide more hard cash.
1903. Daily Chron., 27 Jan., 5/6. Three goals two subsidiaries to six goals two subsidiaries.
† 3. A subsidized state. Obs.
1756. Monitor, No. 30. I. 275. The immense treasure paid for those subsidiaries, which by their treaties are engaged to cover Hanover, at the sole expence of Great Britain.
