A member of the British Conservative Party, or historically, a supporter of traditional monarchy.
From Irish tóraidhe 'pursuer, outlaw,' originally applied to Irish bandits in the 17th century. English opponents used it as a derogatory term for supporters of James II, but the group adopted it proudly, transforming an insult into a political identity.
One of history's great linguistic comebacks - 'Tory' went from meaning 'Irish bandit' to the name of one of Britain's most establishment political parties! This transformation shows how groups can reclaim and dignify terms originally meant to insult them.
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