plea

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty.

   Even if only one person answers my plea for someone to correspond with it will be a blessing.

2. 2
   noun

   An excuse; an apology.

   Necessity, the tyrant’s plea.

3. 3
   noun

   A cause in court; a lawsuit; as, the Court of Common Pleas.

   they or any three of them shall be a Court and have cognizance of pleas real, personal, and mixed.

4. 4
   verb

   To plead; to argue.

   With my riches, my unhappiness was increased tenfold; and here, with another great acquisition of property, for which I had pleaed, and which I had gained in a dream, my miseries and difficulties were increasing.

5. 5
   noun

   an answer indicating why a suit should be dismissed

6. 6
   noun

   (law) a defendant's answer by a factual matter (as distinguished from a demurrer)

7. 7
   noun

   a humble request for help from someone in authority

8. 8
   noun

   That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in justification.

Etymology

From Middle English ple, from Old French plait, plaid, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc., Latin an opinion, determination, prescription, order; literally, that which is pleasing, pleasure”), neuter of placitus, past participle of placere (“to please”). Cognate with Spanish pleito (“lawsuit, suit”). Doublet of placit. See also please, pleasure.