 maffia |
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| 1. | [ noun ] (criminal law) a secret terrorist group in Sicily; originally opposed tyranny but evolved into a criminal organization in the middle of the 19th century | |
| Synonyms: | Sicilian_Mafia Mafia | |
| Related terms: | organized_crime mafioso | |
| 2. | [ noun ] (criminal law) a crime syndicate in the United States; organized in families; believed to have important relations to the Sicilian Mafia | |
| Synonyms: | Cosa_Nostra Mafia | |
| Related terms: | syndicate mafioso omerta | |
| 3. | [ noun ] (informal) any tightly knit group of trusted associates | |
| Synonyms: | mafia | |
| Related terms: | clique colloquialism | |
| Similar spelling: |
mafia Mafa Maffei Mahaffey |
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