English · Slang Historical

nose

Preserved but no longer current.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A thief who turns informer; a paid spy; generally called a policeman’s NOSE; "on the NOSE," on the look-out.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

kẻ trộm cướp trở thành người cung cấp thông tin; một gián điệp được trả tiền

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: Nose Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “nose” mean?

A thief who turns informer; a paid spy; generally called a policeman’s NOSE; "on the NOSE," on the look-out.

Is “nose” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time