mafioso

[ mah-fee-oh-soh ]

/ ˌmɑ fiˈoʊ soʊ /

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noun, plural ma·fi·o·si

[mah-fee-oh-see], /ˌmɑ fiˈoʊ si/, ma·fi·o·sos.(sometimes initial capital letter)

a member of a Mafia or of a mafia.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of mafioso

1870–75; <Italian, equivalent to Mafi(a) Mafia + -oso<Latin -ōsus (see -ous)

Words nearby mafioso

MAFF, maffick, Mafia, mafic, Mafikeng, mafioso, mafted, maftir, mag, MAGA, Magadan

How to use mafioso in a sentence

It is a well known brand popular with politicians and Mafiosi, costs thousands of dollars and is hideously, pugnaciously ugly.
Gene Weingarten: Karen’s better half? Darren, obviously.|Gene Weingarten|March 4, 2021|Washington Post
Since the mid-19th century, Sicily has been known as a hive of Mafioso activity.
Palermo Is Not Just for the Mafia Anymore|Alia Akkam|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But one can hardly blame a young Mafioso for laying claim to what is essentially the holy grail of Mafia hits.
Who Really Murdered Joe Petrosino?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|June 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It will likely take more than a threat from Rome to change the mindset of a mafioso.
Pope Francis May Be Risking His Life by Taking on the Mafia|Barbie Latza Nadeau|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But a Mafioso such as Willie the Rat would have taken that as the good news by comparison when he heard the rest.
A True Tough Guy: The Mafia, Gays, and Michael Sam’s Boyfriend|Michael Daly|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He has the mentality of a Mafioso and not someone who has the mind of an ideological fighter.
Syria’s Jihadists Linked to Organized Crime|Jamie Dettmer|December 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Sometimes this capo-mafioso is a villain who glories in a record of crime, a brow-beating bully who will p. 164stick at nothing.
Castellinaria|Henry Festing Jones

British Dictionary definitions for mafioso

mafioso

/ (ˌmæfɪˈəʊsəʊ, Italian mafiˈoso) /

noun plural -sos or -si (Italian -si)

a person belonging to the Mafia

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

mafioso

Origin of mafioso

Words nearby mafioso

Words related to mafioso

How to use mafioso in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mafioso