novelty
(ˈnɒvəltɪ)
Forms: 4–6 nouelte(e, 5 novel-, nofeltee, 6 Sc. nowelte; 5–7 noveltie (6–7 nouel-, 6 nouil-); 5 nouelty, 6– novelty.
[a. OF. novelté (mod.F. nouveauté): see novel a. and -ty.]
1. a. Something new or unusual; a novel thing or occurrence. Also the novelty, the newest thing.
| 1382 Wyclif 1 Tim. vi. 20 Eschewinge curside noueltees of voyces. c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's T. 1004 Thay were glad right for the novelté, To have a newe lady of her toun. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xlvii. 197 Of al maner thinges ande noveltees that wer in baldak, and not in lumbardye. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) B, The tyme is an inuenter of nouelties. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. Ep. Ded., The general profite and pleasure of..such as delight in nouelties. 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix. 386 They are curious, and great louers of nouelties. 1667 Milton P.L. x. 891 O why did God..create at last This noveltie on Earth? 1728 R. Morris Ess. Anc. Archit. 21 Blindly fond of every little Novelty offer'd to our view. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §241 The level platform we had then obtained being something of a novelty. 1835 W. Irving Tour Prairies xx, The sight of the wild horse had been a great novelty. 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1877) II. viii. 299 Such visits as these were, in England at least, altogether novelties. 1868 Holme Lee B. Godfrey vii, They're the novelty quite, but chancy things to sell. |
† b. A new matter, a recent event, as a subject of report or talk. (Usually in
pl.)
Obs.| 1447 O. Bokenham Lyvys Seyntys (Roxb.) 58 Whan þis miracle abowte was blowe..Ful gret ioy was of þat nouelte. 1475 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 31 Thomas can enforme you of novelties in this countrie better then I can writte. 1502 W. Atkynson tr. De Imitatione i. xx. 169 If thou haue delyte to here noueltise thou muste somtyme therof suffer trybulacyon of herte. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 183 b, The duke of Yorke.., somewhat spurred and quickened with these noveltyes, retired backe. 1595 Locrine ii. i, What uncouth novelties Bring'st thou unto our royal majesty? |
c. An innovation, a novel proceeding.
| 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 55 The explication of causes which gaue originall to nouelties. 1678 Wanley Wonders Lit. World v. ii. §87. 473/1 Mustapha, brother to Achmet, succeeded, which was a novelty never before heard of in this Kingdom. 1876 Freeman Norm. Conq. V. xxiv. 385 The days of King Eadward remained the standard, every departure from which was noticed as a novelty. |
d. An often useless, but decorative or amusing, object which relies for its appeal on the newness of its design. Hence
novelty shop.
| 1901 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 19 Oct. 4/6 (Advt.), Sterling Silver Novelties. An English manufacturer's range of samples: no two pieces alike. Puff Boxes, Tooth Brush Boxes, Vases, Cigarette Cases, Match Boxes, Napkin Rings. 1911 Woman's Home Companion Apr. 28/3 This idea can be carried out to any extent by having quantities of things which are more or less novelties to sell. 1933 Planning I. xvi. 14 The climax to this orgy of designs is reached at Christmas-time when the shops are filled with ‘novelties’ that no customer would think of wanting for himself. 1972 Guardian 23 Dec. 1/1 A cracker-making contract..has been withdrawn because blue jokes were found with the paper hats and novelties. 1973 ‘I. Drummond’ Jaws of Watchdog xi. 145 The only retailer who handled the macabre Belgian masks had a novelty shop in High Holborn. |
2. a. Novel or unusual character
of something.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 67 For wonder of nouelte of þis doynge, me axede counsaille..of Appolyn. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. IV 2 b, Somwhat unquieted for the noveltie of the thyng. 1625 Usher (title), An Answer to a Challenge... Wherein..the Noveltie of the now Romish doctrine [is] plainely discovered. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 46 ¶1 The Novelty of the History, and Manner of Life, of the Emperor Aurengezebe. 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. 1 The novelty and the importance of the duty required. 1841 Lane Arab. Nts. I. 127 The novelty of these amusements interested me. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. ii. 23 The novelty of this day's experience may have rendered it impressive. |
† b. Newness, freshness
of a thing.
Obs. rare.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xii. ix. (Bodl. MS.), In here comynge þei boodeþ noueltee of tyme. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World v. i. §4. 283 Some of the Syracusians..tooke armes against him, even in the noveltie of his Rule. |
3. The quality or state of being novel; that which is novel, new, or hitherto unknown.
| 1484 Caxton Fables of Poge iv, As by caas of nouelte he callyd the sayd yong man. c 1500 Three Kings' Sons 85 It thought them a cas of nouelte. 1581 Mulcaster Positions v. (1887) 29, I may..feare no note of noueltie, where nothing is but auncient. 1604 Jas. I Counterbl. to Tobacco (Arb.) 99 An inconsiderate and childish affectation of Noueltie. 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl., Disc. Med. ii. i, That unexpectedness being the highest Degree of Novelty. 1728 R. Morris Ess. Anc. Archit. 21 Any thing which has the least appearance of Novelty. 1796 H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) II. 16 To induce others to dive into this rich mine, with the additional value of novelty. 1824 J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. (1873) II. ii. viii. 276 Novelty in the speaker supplies the want of novelty in the matter. 1886 Ruskin Præterita I. 238 Very early, indeed, I had found that novelty was soon exhausted. |
| personif. 1784 Cowper Task iii. 54 Pleasure..leaning on the arm Of Novelty, her fickle frail support. |
4. a. attrib. and
Comb., as
novelty-affecting,
novelty-bit,
novelty-hunter (so
novelty-hunting),
novelty-value;
novelty number,
song (see
quot. 1952).
| 1640 G. Sandys Christ's Passion ii. 246 The Novelty-affecting Multitude. 1784 Bishopric Garland (1810) 26 The next was Will Dunn, our painter, Who wanted a novelty-bit. 1926 Fowler Mod. Eng. Usage 387/2 If each novelty⁓hunter struck out a line for himself, we could be content to register novelty-hunting as a useful outward sign of inward dullness, and leave such writers carefully alone. 1938 I. Goldberg Wonder of Words xviii. 372 We all know the novelty-hunter who uses his neologisms because he wishes to stun his reader. 1940 Scrutiny VIII. 397, I am thinking mostly of course of the hack of Tin Pan Alley and the ubiquitous and cynically named ‘novelty’ number. 1952 B. Ulanov Hist. Jazz in Amer. (1958) 352 Novelty song: a song that depends on some obvious contrivance for its appeal, such as a reorganized nursery rhyme..or an infectious sort of gibberish. 1955 L. Feather Encycl. Jazz (1956) 79 Novelty songs such as Ol' Man Mose and Brother Bill began to edge out the jazz material in his repertoire. 1959 Times (Suppl. Britain's Food) 9 Mar. p. vii/6 Novelty-value has its own appeal. 1968 ‘J. Christopher’ Pendulum v. 42 The novelty value won't last. |
b. Of fabrics, etc.: see
quot. 1968.
| 1945 M. D. Potter Fiber to Fabric iii. 51 Novelty yarns produce the attractive nubby effects seen in tweeds. 1950 ‘Mercury’ Dict. Textile Terms 368/2 Novelty suitings, a name applied originally to plain homespun weaves with rough, irregular fillings of different colours, but now referring to all weaves, especially brocaded or jacquard effects. 1968 J. Ironside Fashion Alphabet 94 Novelty, when used of fabrics this indicates that the material is made from more than one basic fibre and may be in an unusual weave. 1974 Guardian 26 Mar. 16/1, 12 leading French cloth manufacturers will be showing..jerseys, shirtings, novelty silks. |