\Plea\, n. [OE. plee, plai, plait, fr. OF. plait, plaid,
plet, LL. placitum judgment, decision, assembly, court, fr.
L. placitum that which is pleasing, an opinion, sentiment,
from placere to please. See {Please}, and cf. {Placit},
{Plead}.]
1. (Law) That which is alleged by a party in support of his
   cause; in a stricter sense, an allegation of fact in a
   cause, as distinguished from a demurrer; in a still more
   limited sense, and in modern practice, the defendant's
   answer to the plaintiff's declaration and demand. That
   which the plaintiff alleges in his declaration is answered
   and repelled or justified by the defendant's plea. In
   chancery practice, a plea is a special answer showing or
   relying upon one or more things as a cause why the suit
   should be either dismissed, delayed, or barred. In
   criminal practice, the plea is the defendant's formal
   answer to the indictment or information presented against
   him.
2. (Law) A cause in court; a lawsuit; as, the Court of Common
   Pleas. See under {Common}.
         The Supreme Judicial Court shall have cognizance of
         pleas real, personal, and mixed.      --Laws of
                                               Massachusetts.
3. That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in
   justification; an excuse; an apology. ``Necessity, the
   tyrant's plea.'' --Milton.
         No plea must serve; 't is cruelty to spare.
                                               --Denham.
4. An urgent prayer or entreaty.
{Pleas of the crown} (Eng. Law), criminal actions.