Cryptic crossword clue
   Ace forward, certain to delay header, finds gaps 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word APERTURES

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
A
P
E
R
T
U
R
E
S


Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "gaps" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case gaps = apertures.
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 APERTURES mean?

APERTURES noun
  1. An opening, gap, or hole, usually small and narrow
  2. Something which restricts the diameter of the light path through one plane in an optical system.
  3. The diameter of the aperture (in the sense above) which restricts the width of the light path through the whole system. For a telescope, this is the diameter of the objective lens.
  4. (communications) The (typically) large-diameter antenna used for receiving and transmitting radio frequency energy containing the data used in communication satellites, especially in the geostationary belt. For a comsat, this is typically a large reflective dish antenna; sometimes called an array.
  5. (of a right circular cone) The maximum angle between the two generatrices.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations