TERMIUM Plus®
From: Translation Bureau
On social media
Consult the Government of Canada’s terminology data bank.
MAIN NOIR [1 record]
Record 1 - internal organization data 2005-12-15
Record 1, English
Record 1, Subject field(s)
- Criminology
Record 1, Main entry term, English
- Black Hand
1, record 1, English, Black%20Hand
correct
Record 1, Abbreviations, English
Record 1, Synonyms, English
Record 1, Textual support, English
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 CONT
Black Hand, symbol and name for a criminal and terroristic secret society, and especially associated with the Mafia and the Camorra. The Black Hand flourished in Sicily in the late 19th century, and in the United States it was especially active in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. It is estimated that at one time 90% of New York City's Italian population was blackmailed by letters threatening death and marked with a black hand. Famous incidents associated with the Black Hand include the murder (1890) in New Orleans of chief of police Daniel Hennessy and the shooting (1909), in Palermo, Italy, of Lt. Joseph Petrosino of the New York City police. 2, record 1, English, - Black%20Hand
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 OBS
The society was so named because those who did not comply with its demands received notes imprinted with a black hand to warn them of terrible reprisals. Many Italians were expected to give up portions of their wages to this criminal group, and if they didn't, they were repeatedly harassed and even killed. 3, record 1, English, - Black%20Hand
Record 1, French
Record 1, Domaine(s)
- Criminologie
Record 1, Main entry term, French
- Main noir
1, record 1, French, Main%20noir
feminine noun
Record 1, Abbreviations, French
Record 1, Synonyms, French
- main noir 2, record 1, French, main%20noir
feminine noun
Record 1, Textual support, French
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 CONT
Histoire des sociétés politiques secrètes au 19 et au 20 siècles : les carbonari, les décembristes, les sociétés irlandaises, la société Houng en Chine, la main noir, le Ku-Klux-Klan [...] 2, record 1, French, - Main%20noir
Record 1, Spanish
Record 1, Textual support, Spanish
Copyright notice for the TERMIUM Plus® data bank
© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2026
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
A product of the Translation Bureau
Features
GCtranslate (available on the Government of Canada network only)
Use this artificial intelligence prototype to translate Government of Canada content up to and including Protected B. Available to employees of selected departments and agencies only.
Writing tools
The Language Portal’s writing tools have a new look! Easy to consult, they give you access to a wealth of information that will help you write better in English and French.
Glossaries and vocabularies
Access Translation Bureau glossaries and vocabularies.
- Date Modified:


