Noun

(en noun)

A person who loves and zealously supports and defends their country.

* (Alexander Pope)

Such tears as patriots shed for dying laws.

* {{quote-book

, year = 1901 , title = The Defendant , first = G. K. , last = Chesterton , authorlink = G. K. Chesterton , page = 166 , passage = “My country, right or wrong”, is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, “My mother, drunk or sober”. }}

* {{quote-book

, year = 1953 , chapter = Purely Personal Prejudices , title = Strictly Personal , first = Sydney J. , last = Harris , authorlink = Sydney J. Harris , publisher = Regnery , page = 228 , url = http://books.google.com/books?id=DLcEAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA228&dq=patriot , passage = The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war. }}

* 2013 , Simon Jenkins, Gibraltar and the Falklands deny the logic of history'' (in ''The Guardian , 14 August 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/14/gibraltar-falklands-deny-logic-history]

Nothing beats a gunboat. HMS Illustrious glided out of Portsmouth on Monday, past HMS Victory and cheering crowds of patriots . Within a week it will be off Gibraltar, a mere cannon shot from Cape Trafalgar.

(archaic) A fellow countryman, a compatriot.

*

Noun

(Tories)

(British) A member or supporter of the Conservative Party, which evolved from Royalist politicians; associated with upholding the rights of the monarchy and the privileges of the established Church.

(by extension) One who is like a British Tory; someone politically conservative.

(Canada) A member or supporter of the Conservative Party of Canada, one of that party's predecessors, or an affiliated provincial political party.

(historical) A pejorative nickname given to the political factions who sought to exclude from the throne of England (the Exclusioners) in the 17th century.

(now, historical, pejorative) An Irish rebel fighting against English rule at the end of the Confederate War and Cromwellian invasion; later extended to other rebels or bandits.

(US, historical, American Revolution) A loyal British citizen.

(US, historical, American Civil War, Confederate states) A Union sympathizer.