The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 4 letter word GLORY HOLE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
G
L
O
R
Y
H
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L
E
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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 GLORY HOLE mean?
GLORY HOLE noun- A hole in a mineshaft where an orebody is mined upwards until it breaks through the surface into the open air.
- (sexual) A hole in a screen or wall big enough to allow an erect penis to be stuck through, made to facilitate anonymous sex with another person.
- A military trench.
- An excavation into the sea floor designed to protect the wellhead equipment installed at the surface of a petroleum well from icebergs or pack ice.
- A hole in the side of a furnace used to heat glass held on a metal rod.
- A deep built-in cupboard under the eaves or stairs of a house used for general storage, particularly of unrelated or unwanted items stored in some disorder.
- In the merchant and Royal Navy:
- A bell-mouth spillway: a spillway (a structure in the reservoir above a dam that allows overflowing water to be released in a controlled fashion) that is shaped like an upside-down bell, thereby giving the appearance of a hole in the surface of the water.
- An especially good place to fish, a particularly rich fishing spot.