‖n.; pl. L. Novae E. Novas /plu>. [ L., fem. sing. of novus new. ] (Astron.) A star which suddenly increases in brightness thousands of times, then fades back to near its original intensity. It may appear as a “new” star if its original brightness was too low for routine observation. A star which suddenly increases in brightness to many millions of times its original intensity is a supernova, and the postulated mechanisms for the increases of brightness of novae and supernovae are different. The most important modern novae are: --
No"va Co*ro"nae Bo`re*a"lis 1866];
No"va Cyg"ni 1876];
No"va An*dro"me*dae 1885];
No"va Au*ri"gae 1891-92];
No"va Per"se*i 1901]. There are two novae called Nova Persei. They are: (a) A small nova which appeared in 1881. (b) An extraordinary nova which appeared in Perseus in 1901. It was first sighted on February 22, and for one night (February 23) was the brightest star in the sky. By July it had almost disappeared, after which faint surrounding nebulous masses were discovered, apparently moving radially outward from the star at incredible velocity. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]

n. [ L. novacula a sharp knife, razor: cf. F. novaculite. ] (Min.) A variety of siliceous slate, of which hones are made; razor stone; Turkey stone; hone stone; whet slate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of the sect of Novatius, or Novatianus, who held that the lapsed might not be received again into communion with the church, and that second marriages are unlawful. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The doctrines or principles of the Novatians. Milner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. novatio; novus new: cf. F. novation. ] 1. Innovation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall easily grant that novations in religion are a main cause of distempers in commonwealths. Laud. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A substitution of a new debt for an old one; also, the remodeling of an old obligation; debt restructuring. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. An innovator. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]