‖n.; pl. L. Novae E. Novas /plu>. [ L., fem. sing. of novus new. ] (Astron.) A star which suddenly increases in brightness thousands of times, then fades back to near its original intensity. It may appear as a “new” star if its original brightness was too low for routine observation. A star which suddenly increases in brightness to many millions of times its original intensity is a supernova, and the postulated mechanisms for the increases of brightness of novae and supernovae are different. The most important modern novae are: --
No"va Co*ro"nae Bo`re*a"lis 1866];
No"va Cyg"ni 1876];
No"va An*dro"me*dae 1885];
No"va Au*ri"gae 1891-92];
No"va Per"se*i 1901]. There are two novae called Nova Persei. They are: (a) A small nova which appeared in 1881. (b) An extraordinary nova which appeared in Perseus in 1901. It was first sighted on February 22, and for one night (February 23) was the brightest star in the sky. By July it had almost disappeared, after which faint surrounding nebulous masses were discovered, apparently moving radially outward from the star at incredible velocity. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

n. [ L. novacula a sharp knife, razor: cf. F. novaculite. ] (Min.) A variety of siliceous slate, of which hones are made; razor stone; Turkey stone; hone stone; whet slate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of the sect of Novatius, or Novatianus, who held that the lapsed might not be received again into communion with the church, and that second marriages are unlawful. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The doctrines or principles of the Novatians. Milner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. novatio; novus new: cf. F. novation. ] 1. Innovation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall easily grant that novations in religion are a main cause of distempers in commonwealths. Laud. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A substitution of a new debt for an old one; also, the remodeling of an old obligation; debt restructuring. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. An innovator. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. nouvelle. See Novel, a. ] 1. That which is new or unusual; a novelty. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. News; fresh tidings. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Some came of curiosity to hear some novels. Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A fictitious tale or narrative, longer than a short story, having some degree of complexity and development of characters; it is usually organized as a time sequence of events, and is commonly intended to exhibit the operation of the passions, and often of love. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

4. [ L. novellae (sc. constitutiones): cf. F. novelles. ] (Law) A new or supplemental constitution. See the Note under Novel, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Novel assignment (Law), a new assignment or specification of a suit. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dim. of novel, n. See Novel. ] A short novel; a novella. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Innovation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]