Synonyms

Cosa Nostra

[koh-zuh nohs-truh] Origin

Co·sa Nos·tra

[koh-zuh nohs-truh]
noun
a secret association engaged in organized crime in the U.S., modeled after and affiliated with the Mafia.

Origin:
1960–65; < Italian: literally, our affair
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Cosa Nostra is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Cosa Nostra (ˈkəʊsə ˈnɒstrə)
 
n
the branch of the Mafia that operates in the US
 
[Italian, literally: our thing]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

cosa nostra
1963, "the Mafia in America," from It., lit. "this thing of ours."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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