Real Dictionary

novel
adjective: In medicine and biology, novel is used to refer to things that have never been seen before.
adjective: Novel things are new and different from anything that has been done, experienced, or made before.
countable noun: A novel is a long written story about imaginary people and events.

novel in American English
new and unusual; esp., being the first of its kind
novella (sense 1)

novel in American English 1
noun: a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity, portraying characters and usually presenting a sequential organization of action and scenes

novel in American English 2
adjective: of a new kind; different from anything seen or known before

novel in American English 3
noun: an imperial enactment subsequent and supplementary to an imperial compilation and codification of authoritative legal materials

novel in British English 1
noun: an extended work in prose, either fictitious or partly so, dealing with character, action, thought, etc, esp in the form of a story

novel in British English 2
adjective: of a kind not seen before; fresh; new; original

novel in British English 3
noun: a new decree or an amendment to an existing statute