'Maffia' definitions:

Definition of 'Maffia'

noun

A crime syndicate in the United States; organized in families; believed to have important relations to the Sicilian Mafia [syn: Mafia, Maffia, Cosa Nostra]

noun

A secret terrorist group in Sicily; originally opposed tyranny but evolved into a criminal organization in the middle of the 19th century [syn: Mafia, Maffia, Sicilian Mafia]

noun

Any tightly knit group of trusted associates [syn: mafia, maffia]

Definition of 'Maffia'

From: GCIDE

Maffia \Maf"fi*a\, Mafia \Ma"fi*a\, n. [It. maffia.]
1. A secret society which organized in Sicily as a political organization, but is now widespread among Italians, and is used to further or protect private interests, reputedly by illegal methods; called also the Sicilian Mafia. [WordNet sense 2] [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
2. A group of loosely associated of criminal organizations in the United States, some having ties to the Sicilian Mafia, and organized in "families"; the term is applied to the entire group of organizations, or to any one local group. Also, loosely, organized groups of criminals anywhere, as the Russian mafia. [WordNet sense 1]
Syn: syndicate, mob, Cosa Nostra, La Cosa Nostra, organized crime. [WordNet 1.6 + PJC]
3. Any tightly knit group of trusted associates having strong control or influence in some area; as, Kennedy and his Irish Mafia. [informal] [WordNet sense 3] [PJC]