The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BREATHER
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
B
R
E
A
T
H
E
R
More clues leading to the result BREATHER
- Swimmer, about to get in short rest
- Gill’s brief period of rest?
- Respite, as European is accepted by British fairly
- Unusual three-bar interval
- Short pause about to be welcomed by swimmer
- Swimmer going round about for some respite
- Stop brewing herb tea with the last of water
- Almost destroy the right lung
- Silly Herbert welcoming a break
- British faculty inspiring the rest
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "lung" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lung = breather.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 BREATHER mean?
BREATHER noun- Something or someone that breathes.
- A short break; a rest or respite.
- A spatially localized, time-periodic excitation in a one-dimensional lattice.
- That which puts one out of breath, such as violent exercise.
- An air inlet path to the crankcase