/ ˈnɒvɪs; NAmE ˈnɑːv-/ noun
1.
a person who is new and has little experience in a skill, job or situation :
I'm a complete novice at skiing.
computer software for novices / the novice user
2.
a person who has joined a religious group and is preparing to become a monk or a nun
3.
a horse that has not yet won an important race
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French , from late Latin novicius , from novus new.