Dictionary

plebe en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pliːb/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /plib/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

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.

Meanings

1. (historical, plural-normally) A plebeian, a member of the lower class of Roman citizens.
   • Another the like was among the Romanes of Patricij & plebes, thone ſtriuing with thother a long time, the patricij many yeares excluding the plebes from bearing rule, vntill at laſt all magiſtrates were made cõmon [common] betweene thẽ [them]: […] 1562–1565 (date written), Thomas Smyth [i.e., Thomas Smith], “The Diuision of the Parts and Persons of the Common Wealth”, in De Republica Anglorum. The Maner of Gouernement or Policie of the Realme of England, […], London: […] Henrie Midleton for Gregorie Seton, published 1583, →OCLC, pages 19–20:
2. (historical, obsolete) The plebs, the plebeian class.
   • All other roomes were free for the plebe or multitude. 1612, Thomas Heywood, chapter II, in An Apology for Actors:
3. (obsolete) The similar lower class of any area.
4. (US, slang) A freshman cadet at a military academy.
   • "But is a plebe forbidden to stroll here?" "If a plebe did have the brass to try it," replied Anstey slowly, "I reckon he would have to fight the whole yearling class in turn." 1910, H. Irving Hancock, Dick Prescott's Second Year at West Point, page 84:
   • Plebes spend their first summer at Cadet Basic Training — Beast Barracks — where they get soldierized. 2014, David Lipsky, Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point, page 8:
   • “You went to The Citadel?” her mother chimed in. “I’ve heard so many great things about that institution. Did you go through a plebe year?” I told her I did and that we called it the knob year because freshman cadets had to shave their heads bald to resemble the butt end of a door knob and keep it that way for an entire ten months while going through the process of being broken down, only to be built back up. 2018 October 26, Joe Crochet, My Winning Seasons: Discovering the Champion Within, page 3:
   • My drill master, a young stripling, told me I was not so ‘gross’ as most other pleibs, the name of all new cadets. 1834 October, Military & Naval Magazine, page 85:

Forms

Deriveds

pleb · plebeskin · plebe year · plebe class

Relateds

plebeian · plebs · pleb

Translations (2)

ro pifan (first-year cadet) · fi simppu (first-year cadet)