Novel, a.
Etymology: [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. -- 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.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Novel, n.
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. Etym: [L. novellae (sc. constitutiones): cf. F. novelles.] (Law)
A new or supplemental constitution. See the Note under Novel, a.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for novel; he lists it under fiction, new, story.
Where he writes about it:
Fiction is now chiefly used of a prose work in narrative form in which the characters are partly or wholly imaginary, and which is designed to portray human life, with or without a practical lesson; a romance portrays what is picturesque or striking, as a mere fiction may not do; novel is a general name for any continuous fictitious narrative, especially a love-story; fiction and novel are used with little difference of meaning, except that novel characterizes a work in which the emotional element is especially prominent. — from fiction
That which is novel is either absolutely or relatively unprecedented in kind; a novel contrivance is one that has never before been known; a novel experience is one that has never before occurred to the same person; that which is new may be of a familiar or even of an ancient sort, as a new copy of an old book. — from new