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.
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.