| 1. |
(noun) (informal) any tightly knit group of trusted associates |
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Synonyms: mafia |
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Related Words: camp, clique, coterie, ingroup, inner circle, pack |
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| 2. |
(noun) a secret terrorist group in Sicily; originally opposed tyranny but evolved into a criminal organization in the middle of the 19th century |
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Synonyms: Mafia, Sicilian Mafia |
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Related Words: gangdom, gangland, organized crime |
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| 3. |
(noun) a crime syndicate in the United States; organized in families; believed to have important relations to the Sicilian Mafia |
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Synonyms: Cosa Nostra, Mafia |
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Related Words: mob, syndicate |
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