Cryptic crossword clue
Certainly taken aback by abrupt gesture of respect 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word CURTSEY

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
U
R
T
S
E
Y

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "gesture of respect" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case gesture of respect = curtsey.
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 CURTSEY mean?

CURTSEY noun
  1. A small bow, generally performed by a woman or a girl, where she crosses one calf of her leg behind the other and briefly bends her knees and lowers her body in deference.
CURTSEY verb
  1. To make a curtsey.

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