4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Novel  \Nov"el\,  a.  [OF.  novel,  nuvel,  F.  nouvel,  nouveau,  L. 
  novellus  dim.  of  novus  new  See  {New}.] 
  Of  recent  origin  or  introduction;  not  ancient;  new  hence 
  out  of  the  ordinary  course;  unusual;  strange;  surprising. 
 
  Note:  In  civil  law,  the  novel  or  new  constitutions  are  those 
  which  are  supplemental  to  the  code,  and  posterior  in 
  time  to  the  other  books.  These  contained  new  decrees  of 
  successive  emperors. 
 
  {Novel  assignment}  (Law),  a  new  assignment  or  specification 
  of  a  suit. 
 
  Syn:  New  recent;  modern;  fresh;  strange;  uncommon;  rare 
  unusual. 
 
  Usage:  {Novel},  {New}  .  Everything  at  its  first  occurrence  is 
  new  that  is  novel  which  is  so  much  out  of  the 
  ordinary  course  as  to  strike  us  with  surprise.  That  is 
  a  new  sight  which  is  beheld  for  the  first  time;  that 
  is  a  novel  sight  which  either  was  never  seen  before  or 
  is  seen  but  seldom.  We  have  daily  new  inventions,  but 
  a  novel  one  supposes  some  very  peculiar  means  of 
  attaining  its  end  Novel  theories  are  regarded  with 
  distrust,  as  likely  to  prove  more  ingenious  than 
  sound. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Novel  \Nov"el\,  n.  [F.  nouvelle  See  {Novel},  a.] 
  1.  That  which  is  new  or  unusual;  a  novelty. 
 
  2.  pl  News  fresh  tidings.  [Obs.] 
 
  Some  came  of  curiosity  to  hear  some  novels. 
  --Latimer. 
 
  3.  A  fictitious  tale  or  narrative,  professing  to  be  conformed 
  to  real  life;  esp.,  one  intended  to  exhibit  the  operation 
  of  the  passions,  and  particularly  of  love.  --Dryden. 
 
  4.  [L.  novellae  (sc.  constitutiones):  cf  F.  novelles.]  (Law) 
  A  new  or  supplemental  constitution.  See  the  Note  under 
  {Novel},  a. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  novel 
  adj  1:  of  a  kind  not  seen  before  "the  computer  produced  a 
  completely  novel  proof  of  a  well-known  theorem"  [syn: 
  {fresh},  {new}] 
  2:  pleasantly  novel  or  different;  "common  sense  of  a  most 
  refreshing  sort"  [syn:  {refreshing}] 
  n  1:  a  extended  fictional  work  in  prose;  usually  in  the  form  of  a 
  story 
  2:  a  novel  as  a  physical  object;  "his  bookcases  were  filled 
  with  nothing  but  novels" 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  NOVEL,  n.  A  short  story  padded.  A  species  of  composition  bearing  the 
  same  relation  to  literature  that  the  panorama  bears  to  art.  As  it  is 
  too  long  to  be  read  at  a  sitting  the  impressions  made  by  its 
  successive  parts  are  successively  effaced,  as  in  the  panorama.  Unity, 
  totality  of  effect,  is  impossible;  for  besides  the  few  pages  last  read 
  all  that  is  carried  in  mind  is  the  mere  plot  of  what  has  gone  before 
  To  the  romance  the  novel  is  what  photography  is  to  painting.  Its 
  distinguishing  principle,  probability,  corresponds  to  the  literal 
  actuality  of  the  photograph  and  puts  it  distinctly  into  the  category 
  of  reporting;  whereas  the  free  wing  of  the  romancer  enables  him  to 
  mount  to  such  altitudes  of  imagination  as  he  may  be  fitted  to  attain; 
  and  the  first  three  essentials  of  the  literary  art  are  imagination, 
  imagination  and  imagination.  The  art  of  writing  novels,  such  as  it 
  was  is  long  dead  everywhere  except  in  Russia,  where  it  is  new  Peace 
  to  its  ashes  --  some  of  which  have  a  large  sale. 
 
 

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