The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CINNABAR
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
C
I
N
N
A
B
A
R
More clues leading to the result CINNABAR
- Old Roman watering-hole provides a mineral
- One who conspired to ban a source of mercury
- Bright red vehicle outside pub with a blonde in the front
- Two locals, the first in California to find mineral
- Cold area between two hostelries in the shade
- Red jag, say, outside pub with a blonde in the front
- Clubs and pubs adopting a bright red colour
- Mineral from old Roman watering-hole
- Reprobate, said to go to pub, becoming bright red
- Bright red, about to drink in one hostelry and another
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "shade" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case shade = cinnabar.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 CINNABAR mean?
CINNABAR noun- A deep red mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS; the principal ore of mercury; such ore used as the pigment vermilion.
- A bright red colour tinted with orange.
- A species of moth, Tyria jacobaeae, having red patches on its predominantly black wings.
- (in “Cinnabar Panacea”) The Elixir of Life.
- Of a bright red colour tinted with orange.