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Tory (Political party name of Irish)

a political party name of Irish origin, first used in England about 1679, applied originally to Irish Revolutionary Catholic outlaws, and then generally to those who refused to concur in the scheme to exclude James II. from the throne.

The nickname, like its contemporaneous opposite Whig, in coming into popular use became much less strict in its application, till at last it came simply to signify an adherent of that political party in the State who disapproved of change in the ancient constitution, and who supported the claims and authority of the king, church, and aristocracy, while their opponents, the Whigs, were in favor of more or less radical changes, and supported the claims of the democracy. In modern times the term has to some extent been supplanted by Conservative.