The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word ZINC
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
Z
I
N
C
More clues leading to the result ZINC
- Element unknown in carbon
- Metallic element unknown in China’s capital
- An element of the unknown included
- Metal in Cadiz, incinerated
- A fragment of quartz in cuprous metal
- An element of unknown, batting first for change
- . What could galvanise jazz in cafe bars?
- Element of jazz in composition
- Sample of jazz incorporated metal
- Element derived from quartz in compounds
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "An element" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case an element = zinc.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 ZINC mean?
ZINC noun- A chemical element (symbol Zn) with an atomic number of 30, a slightly brittle blue-silvery metal.
- A single atom of this element.
- A zinc countertop.
- To electroplate with zinc.
- To coat with sunblock incorporating zinc oxide.