Where does the word Tory originate from?

Tory is a term used today to refer to the British Conservative Party. The word though has Irish Gaelic roots - tóraidhe - and was used to refer to one who was an outlaw or a robber. The word tóir means pusuit as in pursued men. The anglicized term ‘tory’ was originally used as an insult to refer to those individuals who were opposed to the Exclusion Bill of 1678–1681.

The original Tory Party supported a Jacobite (Stuart) claim to the throne but by the early 1760s the party had all but disappeared. A New Tory Party emerged shortly. It would serve as the forerunner of the Modern British Conservative Party.