I. ˈmä-fē-ə, ˈma- noun
Etymology: Mafia, Maffia, a Sicilian secret criminal society, from Italian dialect (Sicily), probably from mafiusu
Date: 1875
1.
a. : a secret criminal society of Sicily or Italy
b. : a similarly conceived criminal organization in the United States ; also : a similar organization elsewhere
the Japanese Mafia
c. : a criminal organization associated with a particular traffic
the cocaine Mafia
2. often not capitalized : a group of people likened to the Mafia ; especially : a group of people of similar interests or backgrounds prominent in a particular field or enterprise : clique
II. ˈmä-fē-ə, ˈma- geographical name
island Tanzania in Indian Ocean S of Zanzibar area 170 square miles (442 square kilometers ), population 16,748