collateral damagea) when non-military people are hurt or killed, or non-military property is damaged, as a result of actions in a war – used especially by the army, navy etc 附带性的破坏〔尤为军队等所用〕，波及无辜 Hitting any non-military targets would risk ‘collateral damage’. 攻击任何非军事目标都有可能殃及无辜。
n b) unintended harm that happens to people as a result of something that is done
collateral damage• Our helplessness, outrage and fear were not collateral damage.• It could also be that collateral damage from a program crash has changed the setting.• This collateral damage to otherwise healthy bits of tooth may in the end have to be dealt with itself.
→ collateral damage at collateral2(1)