From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishToryTo‧ry /ˈtɔːri/ noun (plural Tories) [countable] PPGa member of the British Conservative Party a lifelong Tory —Tory adjective [only before noun] Tory principles
Examples from the Corpus
Tory• The implication of the ad was that Labour had produced mass unemployment and the Tories would cure it.• It provides us with an appeal to a constituency the Tories have been allowed to monopolise.• Michael Fallon, defending Darlington for the Tories, said health service reforms were working and were backed by doctors.• They took 5 seats from the Tories to win control of the hung Council.• No other alternative to the Tories is on offer.• The Tories reply with accusations of scaremongering.• The Tories therefore would fall 12 seats short of an overall majority.Origin Tory (1700-1800) Tory “Irish Catholic supporter of King James II” ((17-18 centuries)), from Irish Gaelic toraidhe “robber”, from Middle Irish toir “chasing” 