Mafia
noun /ˈmæfiə/
/ˈmɑːfiə/
- the Mafia[singular + singular or plural verb] a secret organization of criminals, that is active especially in Sicily, Italy and the US
黑手党(尤活跃于意大利西西里和美国) - a Mafia boss
黑手党老大 - Large areas of the city were controlled by the Mafia.
这座城市的大部分地区被黑手党控制了。
CultureThe Mafia in the US is also sometimes called the Mob, the Syndicate or Cosa Nostra (Italian for 'our thing'). The Italian-American Mafia began in the US in the late 19th century and became organized into powerful 'families'. They controlled the production of illegal alcohol during prohibition and only became weaker in the 1980s when several leaders, called ' Godfathers', were sent to prison. Well-known members of the Mafia in the US have included Al Capone and 'Lucky' Luciano. There have been many books and films about the Mafia, including The Godfather. - a Mafia boss
- mafia[countable + singular or plural verb] an organized group of criminals similar to the Mafia in the way it operates
黑手党(尤活跃于意大利西西里和美国) - the rise of criminal mafias in various parts of Europe
犯罪黑手党在欧洲各地的兴起
- the rise of criminal mafias in various parts of Europe
- mafia[countable + singular or plural verb] a group of people within an organization or a community who use their power to get advantages for themselves
小集团;小帮派;团伙;社会黑帮 - a member of the local mafia
当地黑社会中的一名成员 - Politics is still dominated by the middle-class mafia.
政治仍然操纵在中产阶级帮派手中。
- a member of the local mafia
词源Italian (Sicilian dialect), originally in the sense ‘bragging’.