What is a pleb?

In Ancient Rome, the plebs was the general body of Roman citizens, distinct from the privileged class of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian (Latin: plebeius).

In British and Australian English pleb continues in use as a derogatory term for someone inferior, common or ignorant, who may be described as being a pleb, plebby or a plebhead

Pleb Definition

"pleb" is an old term used for a commoner, a lower-economic strata person.

This is what Wikipedia Online says:

In Ancient Rome, the plebs was the general body of Roman citizens, distinct from the privileged class of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian (Latin: plebeius).

The true origin of the distinction between plebeians and patricians is unknown; there is little evidence for any sort of a racial basis, nor many signs of a distinction during the time of the kings. However, the populace of the city of Rome during the reigns of Romulus, Numa Pompilius, and Tullus Hostilius were all called patrician as they were the only inhabitants of Rome. It is during the reign of Ancus Marcius that the plebeians came to Rome from diplomatic alliances as secondary citizens. In any case, around the time of the foundation of the Roman Republic, the plebeians were excluded from religious colleges and magistracies, and the law of the Twelve Tables disallowed intermarriage (which was finally allowed by the Lex Canuleia.) At the same time, plebeians were enrolled in the gentes and tribes, served in the army, and could become military tribunes.

Continued in link...

Then it says:

In British and Australian English pleb continues in use as a derogatory term for someone inferior, common or ignorant, who may be described as being a pleb, plebby or a plebhead. In Dutch it is used literally; someone may be part of the 'Plebs'. See also: prole.

What Is A Pleb

Pleb is singular of plebe.

A plebe is a first year student at the U.S.Naval Academy

In the barracks, only seniors, known at West Point as “firsties,” can have rugs in their rooms and are allowed some liberties with their room decoration, but the other three classes—“cows” (juniors), “yearlings” (sophomores) and “plebes” (freshmen)—have cold tile floors, plain desks, bookshelves, a “rack” (bed) and “green girl” (much-beloved blanket), and a dresser in addition to the washstand, mirror, rifle-rack, and two closets built into the walls—all arranged according to the specifications laid out in the B.A.G. (Barracks Arrangement Guide).

http://historictraveler.away.com/primedia/military...

What's a pleb and a wazzock? Call him booger!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleb

It helps to research your question before asking it. It saves you question points.

However this definition indicates that a pleb is one of the common people.

An umbrella term for a number of hardware and software initiatives which include the development of a credit-card sized StrongARM prototype for embedded systems and Catapult - a replacement bootloader for Blob.

Same as an oik, a Kev, a Shazz, a yob. Someone who didn't go to the right sort of school.

pleb

noun

The common people. common (used in plural), commonality, commonalty, commoner (used in plural), crowd, hoi polloi, mass (used in plural), mob, plebeian (used in plural), populace, public, ruck1, third estate