"one of the common people, a low-born person," 1856 as a colloquial shortening of plebeian in the ancient Roman sense. West Point sense attested by 1851 (see plebe). Related: Plebbish.

also pleb, "member of the lowest class at a U.S. military academy," 1833, probably a shortened form of plebeian "one of the lower class," which in Latin had also the short form plebs or plebes.