The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word MAINSAIL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
A
I
N
S
A
I
L
More clues leading to the result MAINSAIL
- Chief means for a yacht to travel by sea?
- Animal is tangled up in large piece of canvas
- Animal is represented in large piece of canvas
- Animal is tangled in yacht’s propeller
- Canvas having trouble under water?
- Verbally state deal for canvas used in craft
- Canvas home – it’s in the post
- Water supply trouble? You can get that on yacht
- Water supply trouble in biggest course?
- Important deal announced for part of propulsion system
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Chief means for a yacht to travel/Chief means for a yacht to travel" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case chief means for a yacht to travel/chief means for a yacht to travel = mainsail.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 MAINSAIL mean?
MAINSAIL noun- The largest (or only) sail on a sailing vessel.