novel
novel — noun
1. A book-length work of fiction that tells a story about made-up people, places, a
A book-length work of fiction that tells a story about made-up people, places, and events, usually divided into chapters.
Ingrid borrowed three novels from the library for her summer holiday.
borrowed [number] + novels from [place]
Reema spent the weekend reading a historical novel set in 18th-century Japan.
The author's first novel sold over two million copies in six months.
Tuan enjoys reading crime novels late at night with a warm cup of tea.
Min's latest novel explores how three generations of one family deal with grief.
- nonfiction
writing about real events and facts rather than invented ones
文法句型
[genre] + novel
novel + about + topic
read/write/publish + a novel
用法筆記
Countable noun. Frequently preceded by a genre label such as historical, crime, romance, or science-fiction. The person who writes novels is a novelist, not a 'noveler.'
常見錯誤
novel — adjective
1. Unusual and interesting because it has not been done, known, or seen before — of
Unusual and interesting because it has not been done, known, or seen before — often used to describe ideas, methods, or designs that show fresh thinking.
Selim proposed a novel method for converting sunlight into hydrogen fuel.
novel method for [purpose]
Trang's novel approach to teaching maths helped her struggling students improve.
The architects designed a novel cooling system that uses no electricity at all.
Ilan presented a novel solution to the parking shortage using a mobile app.
Beatrix received a patent for her novel design of a collapsible water bottle.
- original
focuses on being the first of its kind; 'novel' adds the sense of being surprising or unusual
- innovative
emphasises practical improvement or progress; stronger in business contexts
- fresh
less formal than 'novel'; suggests newness with a positive tone
- groundbreaking
stronger; suggests that the new idea changes how people think about the topic
- conventional
following traditional or accepted ways
- traditional
based on long-established customs or methods
- ordinary
not special or different in any way
文法句型
novel + noun
be + novel
find something + novel
用法筆記
More formal than 'new.' Typically appears in academic, technical, or professional writing. You would not describe a new phone or new shoes as 'novel' — save this word for ideas, methods, designs, or inventions that are creatively different from what existed before.
常見錯誤
2. Describes a type of virus that has recently appeared and was not previously know
Describes a type of virus that has recently appeared and was not previously known to scientists or circulating among humans.
In early 2020 a novel coronavirus was identified in patients with severe pneumonia.
novel coronavirus — technical medical label
Scientists are racing to understand how the novel strain of bird flu affects mammals.
Sade's research focuses on detecting novel viruses before they cause major outbreaks.
Christopher explained how the novel strain differs from the seasonal flu virus.
- newly discovered
broader; used for any newly found organism, not just viruses
- emerging
suggests the virus is spreading or becoming more dangerous
- previously unknown
more descriptive and formal; often used in scientific papers
- known
already identified and studied
- established
has existed and circulated for some time
文法句型
novel + virus/strain/coronavirus
用法筆記
Almost always appears directly before the noun (attributive position). The phrase 'novel coronavirus' gained global use during the COVID-19 pandemic to distinguish the new virus from previously known coronaviruses. Distinguish from adj/1 (NEW & ORIGINAL): in this sense there is no positive connotation of creativity — it simply means 'previously unknown to science.'