NOVELTY


Meaning of NOVELTY in English

nov ‧ el ‧ ty /ˈnɒv ə lti $ ˈnɑː-/ BrE AmE noun ( plural novelties )

[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: novelté , from novel ; ⇨ ↑ novel 2 ]

1 . [uncountable] the quality of being new, unusual, and interesting

novelty of

the novelty of the ideas

Many toys have no attraction beyond their novelty value.

It was fun for a while, but the novelty wore off (=it became boring) .

2 . [countable] something new and unusual which attracts people’s attention and interest:

Then the Internet was still something of a novelty.

3 . [countable] an unusual, small, cheap object, often given as a present:

a selection of novelties and t-shirts

a novelty key-ring

• • •

COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)

■ verbs

▪ be a novelty

At that time, air travel was still a novelty to many people.

▪ the novelty wears off (=something stops seeming new and interesting)

Once the novelty had worn off he didn't play with his train set much.

■ phrases

▪ be something of a novelty (=seem quite new and different)

At that time, cars were still something of a novelty.

▪ be quite a novelty (=seem quite new and different)

In the 1970s, a woman sports reporter was quite a novelty.

▪ the added novelty of something

You can attend the recording of the show, and get the added novelty of watching a radio programme being made.

■ adjectives

▪ sheer novelty (=used when emphaszing how new and different something seems)

Few pieces of music can match the sheer novelty of Sibelius's Sixth Symphony.

■ novelty + NOUN

▪ novelty value (=the extra interest that something receives because it is new)

The car still sells well, though the novelty value has worn off.

▪ a novelty act (=a performance that is unusual and different)

Mike Michaels the Mechanical Magician was one of the best novelty acts I've seen.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.