Tory
Syllabification: (To·ry)
Pronunciation: /ˈtôrē/
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Definition of Tory
noun ( plural Tories)
- a member of the English political party opposing the exclusion of James II from the succession. It remained the name for members of the English, later British, parliamentary party supporting the established religious and political order until the emergence of the Conservative Party in the 1830s. Compare with Whig (sense 1).
adjective
Derivatives
Origin:
mid 17th century: probably from Irish toraidhe 'outlaw, highwayman', from tóir 'pursue'. The word was used of Irish peasants dispossessed by English settlers and living as robbers, and extended to other marauders especially in the Scottish Highlands. It was then adopted circa1679 as an abusive nickname for supporters of the Catholic James II