The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ACCOLADE
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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More clues leading to the result ACCOLADE
- Expert smothers company junior in praise
- Star keeping very cool when collecting a pat on the back
- Praise champion keeping company with youth
- A pat on the back or a touch on the shoulder?
- Commendation for fighter pilot capturing area in Arctic
- Officer Bill overwhelmed by great praise
- Youth led by commanding officer in brilliant tribute
- Honour first two hundred over new deal
- Recognition for master quaffing drink with duke
- A drug company associated with dodgy deal gets award
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "award" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case award = accolade.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ACCOLADE mean?
ACCOLADE noun- An expression of approval; praise.
- A special acknowledgment; an award.
- An embrace of greeting or salutation.
- A salutation marking the conferring of knighthood, consisting of an embrace or a kiss, and a slight blow on the shoulders with the flat of a sword.
- A brace used to join two or more staves.
- Written Presidential certificate recognizing service by personnel who died or were wounded in action between 1917 and 1918, or who died in service between 1941 and 1947, or died of wounds received in Korea between June 27, 1950 and July 27, 1954. Service of civilians who died overseas or as a result of injury or disease contracted while serving in a civilian capacity with the United States Armed Forces during the dates and/or in areas prescribed is in like manner recognized.
- An ornament composed of two ogee curves meeting in the middle, each concave toward its outer extremity and convex toward the point at which it meets the other. Such accolades are either plain or adorned with rich moldings, and are a frequent motive of decoration on the lintels of doors and windows of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, especially in secular architecture.
- To embrace or kiss in salutation.
- To confer a knighthood on.
- To confer praise or awards on.
- Either of the two characters { and }, i.e., left curly bracket left curly bracket and right curly bracket right curly bracket, with the shape of a curved, pointed line, having various uses in math, music, and computer programming.