tory
tory Lexical Profile
tory Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to or characteristic of the British or Canadian Conservative Party, its members, or traditional conservative political principles.
"The prime minister sought to rally support among traditional Tory voters in rural constituencies."
• noun
A member or supporter of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom or Canada, or a person holding traditional conservative political views.
"The election results showed a narrow majority for the Tories in Parliament."
American An American colonist who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolutionary War.
"Following the signing of the peace treaty, many Tories left the Thirteen Colonies and resettled in Canada."
British A member of the English political faction formed in the late 17th century that favored the hereditary royal prerogative and the established Church of England over parliamentary supremacy.
"Seventeenth-century parliamentary debates were frequently dominated by rivalries between the Whigs and the Tories."
• Rhymes for tory
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Irish tóraidhe, meaning 'outlaw, robber, or pursuer' (from tóir, 'pursuit'). Originally applied to dispossessed Irishmen who raided English settlers, it was later adopted as a political nickname for supporters of the future King James II and the royal prerogative.