plebe
UK /pliːb/ · US /plib/ noun
Forms plebes
- noun (historical, usually in the plural) A plebeian, a member of the lower class of Roman citizens.
- noun (historical, obsolete) The plebs, the plebeian class.
- noun (obsolete) The similar lower class of any area.
- noun (US, military, slang) A freshman cadet at a military academy.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin plēbs (“the plebeian class”), probably via Middle French plebe (“plebeians, commoners, the rabble”) and possibly later understood as a clipping of plebeian. Cognate with Italian plebe, Spanish plebe, Portuguese plebe.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The common people; the mob. [Obs.]
- noun A member of the lowest class in the military academy at West Point. [Cant, U.S.]
Etymology [F. plèbe, fr. L. plebs.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “plebe”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details