The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word MIMICRY
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
M
I
M
I
C
R
Y
More clues leading to the result MIMICRY
- Dirty clothing Mike is taking off
- Burlesque makes Bohemian girl howl
- Shed tears after operatic heroine’s imitation
- Impressionist’s art found in operatic character with contralto really pouring out heart?
- Opera star with sob creating impression
- To begin with, manyplead for an imitation
- Copying operatic heroine, wail
- Performance by a parrot repeating note and shout
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Burlesque" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case burlesque = mimicry.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 MIMICRY mean?
MIMICRY noun- The act or ability to simulate the appearance of someone or something else.