/ ˈnɒvlti; NAmE ˈnɑːv-/ noun , adjective
■ noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
[ U ] the quality of being new, different and interesting :
It was fun working there at first but the novelty soon wore off (= it became boring) .
There's a certain novelty value in this approach.
2.
[ C ] a thing, person or situation that is interesting because it is new, unusual, or has not been known before :
Electric-powered cars are still something of a novelty.
3.
[ C ] a small cheap object sold as a toy or a decorative object
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] different and unusual; intended to be amusing and to catch people's attention :
a novelty teapot
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French novelte , from novel new, fresh, from Latin novellus , from novus new.