Cryptic crossword clue
Belts French priests hiding in court 9

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

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Belts" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case belts = cinctures.
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 CINCTURES mean?

CINCTURES noun
  1. An enclosure, or the act of enclosing, encircling or encompassing
  2. A girdle or belt, especially as part of a vestment
  3. The fillet, listel, or band next to the apophyge at the extremity of the shaft of a column.
CINCTURES verb
  1. To encircle or surround.
  2. (viniculture) To girdle (stunt or kill by cutting).

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