Criminals' slang. A prominent member of a criminal gang. Obsolete. rare.

Chiefly with capital initial in the first element. A member of a disorderly gang of weavers from the Coombe area of Dublin. Now historical.

(a) the leader or foreman of a gang of workers or labourers (now rare); (b) the head of a criminal or street gang.

a member of a camorra.

A member or supporter of the Mafia.

A member of an urban territorial gang (gang, n. 8d). Cf. gangsta, n. 1.

Urban gangs known for committing a variety of usually violent crimes; members of these gangs. Frequently attributive.

A member of a criminal gang in a particular neighbourhood; (also) spec. the leader of such a gang, esp. one having links to local politicians.

In early use: a person of Italian descent or birth; esp. a rustic person, a villager. In later use (U.S.): an Italian-American man; spec. a mafioso.

A black or mixed-race hooligan, gangster, or hoodlum; a vagrant. Also attributive, as skolly boy.

= mafioso, n.

In Japan: a boss, a chief; spec. the boss of an organized crime syndicate or of a labour organization.

A Japanese gangster or racketeer; usually in plural sense, such people collectively.

A female mafioso.

(a) A member of a gang of organized criminals; a Mafioso. (b) A boss, mentor; occasionally spec. a godfather; also, a crony, buddy.

In Papua New Guinea: a member of a criminal gang; a thief, a hooligan.

Chiefly British and Caribbean. A member of any of various gangs originating in Jamaican or Afro-Caribbean communities, involved with organized or…

Chiefly U.S. slang (esp. in African-American usage). A newcomer, a recent arrival, a novice; esp. one who is a member of a street gang or involved in…

A man employed by a criminal or criminal organization to inflict (typically physical) punishment on an enemy, debtor, etc.