The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word SEMAPHORE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
E
M
A
P
H
O
R
E
More clues leading to the result SEMAPHORE
- Way of signalling English plan to invade beach
- What about plan received by sensitive signalling system?
- Waving flags found in prop containing English chart
- This flags up important messages
- Signalling system delivered by horse trained to carry chart to Europe
- Spare home for demolition in army communication?
- Army signalling?
- Send signals from beach about European plot
- Flag system failing homes and just over half of parents
- Hear poems, in a way, as means of communication
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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 SEMAPHORE mean?
SEMAPHORE noun- Any equipment used for visual signalling by means of flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, which are used to represent letters of the alphabet, or words.
- A visual system for transmitting information using the above equipment; especially, by means of two flags held one in each hand, using an alphabetic and numeric code based on the position of the signaller's arms; flag semaphore.
- A bit, token, fragment of code, or some other mechanism which is used to restrict access to a shared function or device to a single process at a time, or to synchronize and coordinate events in different processes.
- To signal using, or as if using, a semaphore, with the implication that it is done nonverbally.