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yakuza

Pronunciation: /jəˈkuːzə/
Definition of yakuza

noun (plural same)

(the Yakuza)
  • a powerful Japanese criminal organization.
  • a member of the Yakuza; a Japanese gangster or racketeer: 100,000 yakuza in Japan rake in some $10 billion a year

Origin:

Japanese, from ya 'eight' + ku 'nine' + za 'three', referring to the worst hand in a gambling game

yakuza in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of yakuza in the US English dictionary

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