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Webster 1913 Edition

Whig

Whig

,
Noun.
[See
Whey
.]
Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with buttermilk and sweet herbs, used as a cooling beverage.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Whig

,
Noun.
[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.]
1.
(Eng. Politics)
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 The terms Liberal and Radical have now generally superseded Whig in English politics.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
.
2.
(Amer. Hist.)
(a)
A friend and supporter of the American Revolution; – opposed to
Tory
, and
Royalist
.
(b)
One of the political party in the United States from about 1829 to 1856, opposed in politics to the Democratic party.

Whig

,
Adj.
Of or pertaining to the Whigs.

Webster 1828 Edition

Whig

WHIG

,
Noun.
[See Whey.] Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with butter milk and sweet herbs; used as a cooling beverage. [Local.]

WHIG

,
Noun.
[origin uncertain.] One of a political party which had its origin in England in the seventeenth century, in the reign of Charles I. or 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 were called whigs. During the revolution in the United States, the friends and supporters of the war and the principles of the revolution, were called whigs, and those who opposed them, were called tories and royalists.
Where then, when tories scarce get clear, shall whigs and congresses appear?

Definition 2024

Whig

Whig

See also: whig

English

Noun

Whig ‎(plural Whigs)

  1. (Britain, politics) a member of an 18th- and 19th-century political party in Britain that was opposed to the Tories, and eventually became the Liberal Party.
  2. (US, politics) an advocate of war against Britain during the American Revolution.
  3. (US, politics) a member of a 19th-century US political party opposed to the Democratic Party.

Derived terms

Translations

a member of an 18th- and 19th-century political party

See also

whig

whig

See also: Whig

English

Noun

whig ‎(plural whigs)

  1. (Britain, dialect, obsolete) Acidulated whey, sometimes mixed with buttermilk and sweet herbs, used as a cooling beverage.
  2. buttermilk

Etymology 2

Compare frig, jig

Verb

whig ‎(third-person singular simple present whigs, present participle whigging, simple past and past participle whigged)

  1. (transitive) Urge forward; drive briskly.
  2. (intransitive) Jog along; move or work briskly.

French

Etymology

Borrowing from English whig.

Noun

whig m ‎(plural whigs)

  1. Whig

Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English whig.

Adjective

whig ‎(invariable)

  1. Whig (attributive)

Noun

whig m ‎(invariable)

  1. Whig

Etymology

From Whiggamore, possibly from Scots whiggamore ‎(“horse driver”).

Pronunciation

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