Emily Dickinson Lexicon

NOV'EL, a. [L. novellus, from novus, new; It. novella; Sp. novel.]

1. New; of recent origin or introduction; not ancient; hence, unusual; as, a novel heresy; novel opinions. The proceedings of the court were novel.
2. In the civil law, the novel constitutions are those which are supplemental to the code, and posterior in time to the other books. These contained new decrees of successive emperors.
3. In the common law, the assize of novel disseizin is an action in which the demandant recites a complaint of the disseizin in terms of direct averment, whereupon the sherif is commanded to reseize the land and chattels thereon, and keep the same in custody till the arrival of the justices of assize. Blackstone.