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novelty

[ nov-uhl-tee ]
/ ˈnɒv əl ti /
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See synonyms for: novelty / novelties on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural nov·el·ties.
state or quality of being novel, new, or unique; newness: the novelty of a new job.
a novel occurrence, experience, or proceeding: His sarcastic witticisms had ceased being an entertaining novelty.
an article of trade whose value is chiefly decorative, comic, or the like and whose appeal is often transitory: a store catering to tourists who loaded up with souvenir pennants and other novelties.
adjective
Textiles.
  1. (of a weave) consisting of a combination of basic weaves.
  2. (of a fabric or garment) having a pattern or design produced by a novelty weave.
  3. (of yarn) having irregularities within the fibrous structure.
of or relating to novelties as articles of trade: novelty goods; novelty items.
having or displaying novelties: novelty shop.
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Origin of novelty

1350–1400; Middle English novelte<Middle French novelete<Late Latin novellitās newness. See novel2, -ity

Words nearby novelty

novelistic, novelize, novella, Novello, Novels, novelty, November, novemdecillion, novena, novercal, Novgorod
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to novelty

freshness, innovation, oddity, uniqueness, curiosity, gimmick, souvenir, change, crazy, creation, modernity, mutation, oddball, original, origination, permutation, recentness, sport, strangeness, surprise

How to use novelty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for novelty

novelty
/ (ˈnɒvəltɪ) /
noun plural -ties
  1. the quality of being new and fresh and interesting
  2. (as modifier)novelty value
a new or unusual experience or occurrence
(often plural) a small usually cheap new toy, ornament, or trinket

Word Origin for novelty

C14: from Old French novelté; see novel ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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