nosegent, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

nosegent n.

[? Fr. à genou, kneeling; Ribton-Turner, A History of Vagrants (1887), suggests Gaelic nuas, ‘from on high’ + gean, a woman]

a nun.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 87: There was a proud Patrico and a nosegent, he tooke his Jockam in his famble, and a wapping he went.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching [as cit. c.1566].
1608		Dekker Lanthorne and Candle-Light Ch. 1: The Canters Dictionary Nosegent, a Nunne.
1637		Dekker Canters Dict. in Eng. Villainies (8th edn).
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Nosegent, a Nun.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Nosegent a Nun.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.