whig

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

whig, n. [See Whey.].

 Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with buttermilk and sweet herbs, used as a cooling beverage.  [1913 Webster]

whig, n. [Said to be from whiggam, a term used in Scotland in driving horses, whiggamore one who drives horses (a term applied to some western Scotchmen), contracted to whig. In 1648, a party of these people marched to Edinburgh to oppose the king and the duke of Hamilton (the Whiggamore raid), and hence the name of Whig was given to the party opposed to the court. Cf. Scot. whig to go quickly.].

•  One of a political party which grew up in England in the seventeenth century, in the reigns of Charles I. and II., when great contests existed respecting the royal prerogatives and the rights of the people. Those who supported the king in his high claims were called Tories, and the advocates of popular rights, of parliamentary power over the crown, and of toleration to Dissenters, were, after 1679, called Whigs. The terms Liberal and Radical have now generally superseded Whig in English politics. See the note under Tory.  [1913 Webster]
•  A friend and supporter of the American Revolution; -- opposed to Tory, and Royalist.  [1913 Webster]

whig, a. 

 Of or pertaining to the Whigs.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

whig, n. hist.
1 Polit. a member of the British reforming and constitutional party that after 1688 sought the supremacy of Parliament and was eventually succeeded in the 19th c. by the Liberal Party (opp. TORY 2).
2 a 17th-c. Scottish Presbyterian.
3 US a a supporter of the American Revolution. b a member of an American political party in the 19th c., succeeded by the Republicans.

Derivative

Whiggery n. Whiggish adj. Whiggism n.

Etymology

prob. a shortening of Sc. whiggamer, -more, nickname of 17th-c. Sc. rebels, f. whig to drive + MARE(1)

THESAURUS

whig

Conservative, Democrat, Labourite, Republican, Tory, heeler, loyalist, partisan, party faithful, party hack, party man, party member, party wheelhorse, registered Democrat, registered Republican, regular, stalwart, ward heeler, wheelhorse