Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a term of affection, e.g. my dear nug.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Nug a Word of Love, as, my Dear Nug, my Dear Love.
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.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.

2. (US campus) a young woman.

1998

Eble Campus Sl. Apr.