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Mafia   Listen
noun
Mafia, Maffia  n.  
1.
A secret society which organized in Sicily as a political organization, but is now widespread among Italians, and is used to further or protect private interests, reputedly by illegal methods; called also the Sicilian Mafia.
2.
A group of loosely associated of criminal organizations in the United States, some having ties to the Sicilian Mafia, and organized in "families"; the term is applied to the entire group of organizations, or to any one local group. Also, loosely, organized groups of criminals anywhere, as the Russian mafia.
Synonyms: syndicate, mob, Cosa Nostra, La Cosa Nostra, organized crime.
3.
Any tightly knit group of trusted associates having strong control or influence in some area; as, Kennedy and his Irish Mafia. (informal)





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Mafia" Quotes from Famous Books



... no knowing what you are going to explore"—a shade of anxiety had come into her face. "The Mafia is there, the people are ignorant, and the lava wastes are as desolate and wild as any spot in Africa. I hope there will be no danger, but it is well to take precautions before going into such a country. You will promise me won't you?—to follow the directions of ...
— The Title Market • Emily Post
... seem very probable that all the technicians in the Senate Office Building, for instance, are spies. It makes even less sense that the labor unions are composed mostly of spies. Or, for that matter, the Mafia and the organizations like it. What would spies be ...
— Occasion for Disaster • Gordon Randall Garrett


Words linked to "Mafia" :   gangdom, pack, syndicate, Cosa Nostra, ingroup, act of terrorism, omerta, crime syndicate, clique, terrorism, mob, camp, Sicilian Mafia, mafioso, colloquialism, inner circle, organized crime, family, terrorist act, coterie, maffia


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