DCHP-1 Online
Tory ((n.)) † 
1 n. Hist. a supporter of the British Crown during the American Revolution.
- 1775 Yesterday I hear a New-England man say "that he had never been on the Parade, because his conscience would fly in his face were he to assist, or make show of assisting the Torys in their attempt to thwart the endeavours of the Patriots to give Liberty to this Province."
- 1778 A party of General Parson's troops having found out the residence of a number of Tories, alias cow and horse thieves alias free booters, were so successful as to take 47 of them, who are all properly disposed of.
2 n. Hist. in colonial times, a person who supported the British connection and opposed the desires of the Liberals and Reformers for a greater measure of self-government, the influential group among such persons being known, in Upper Canada, as the Family Compact (def. 1).
See also: Family Compact (def. 1) Tory ((adj.)) (def. 1) Toryism (def. 1)
- 1832 According to the doctrine of the Tories of Upper Canada, freedom of thought is treason--freedom of speech is rebellion--and liberty of forcing opinions and acting under them is becoming traitorous and yankefied.
- 1838 "Now, if they had a good set of liners, these blue-nose tories and radicals would be for everlastingly abotherin' of government with their requests and complaints."
- 1897 In fact, the talent in papers was with the Tories, and in that day [1831] York had many.
- 1963 [In] 1830 Ogle R. Gowan, a Tory and an Orangeman, seems to have published a pamphlet calling for "responsible government."
3 n. a member or supporter of the Progressive-Conservative Party and its predecessors, as the Conservative Party descended from the right-wing groups of colonial times.
See also: Conservative Party Progressive Conservative Party Tory ((adj.)) (def. 2) Toryism (def. 2)
- 1905 The Macleod Advance (Liberal) says that the Opposition is a no-Tory-ous party.
- 1936 (1965) Never did we see such an assemblage of long-visaged Tories.
- 1966 Later you say that, if the positions were reversed, with Turner the Tory and Chambers the Grit, Turner would still have won.
- 1775 Yesterday I hear a New-England man say "that he had never been on the Parade, because his conscience would fly in his face were he to assist, or make show of assisting the Torys in their attempt to thwart the endeavours of the Patriots to give Liberty to this Province."