The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word TUTELAR
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
T
U
T
E
L
A
R
Buddy explains!
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 TUTELAR mean?
TUTELAR noun- One that is tutelary.
- Serving as a guardian; protective; tutelary.