жиган

Noun

 * 1)  thief in law
 * 2)  scoundrel; swindler; fraudster; rogue; cheat

Usage notes

 * The term originally carried derogatory connotations, and was used at the beginning of the 20th century by established members of the criminal underworld towards newer criminal outfits: particularly those run by Tsarists after the, who engaged in organized crime as a form of resistance against the Soviet regime. However, such connotations no longer apply.