| 释义 |
ma·fia
I. noun
or maf·fia \ˈmäfēə, ˈmaf-\
(-s)
Usage: usually capitalized
Etymology: from Mafia, Maffia, a secret criminal society of Sicily, from Italian, from Italian dialect (Sicily) mafia boldness, bluster, swagger, probably from Arabic maḥyah boasting
1. : a secret society of political terrorists
< browbeaten into joining this industrial Mafia — Benjamin Stolberg >
< charges of a Soviet Mafia operating in Europe >
2. : a secret organization composed chiefly of criminal elements and usually held to control racketeering, peddling of narcotics, gambling, and other illicit activities throughout the world
< the Mafia … concentrated on gambling, prostitution, and blackmail rackets among Italian immigrants, but prohibition brought an eruption of activity on a national scale — Stanley Frank >
II. noun
Usage: often capitalized
1. : a group of people of similar interests or backgrounds prominent in a particular field or enterprise
< as the little guy in the world of broadcasting, he throws down the gauntlet to the network Mafia — Stanley Marcus >
2. : a criminal organization associated with a particular traffic
< the cocaine mafia > |