The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word VESSEL
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
V
E
S
S
E
L
More clues leading to the result VESSEL
- Ship — schooner, perhaps?
- Elves wandering around close to this craft
- Container ship
- Ship in a bottle, perhaps
- Elves dancing across top of shoe container
- Sub at tea, maybe, contribution to wives selling
- Not so much raised to support very English craft
- Boat, very inferior, losing stern after spin
- Crucible is one to be in old Rome wearing very little at first
- Behaves selfishly, keeping the bowl
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Container/ship" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case container/ship = vessel.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 VESSEL mean?
VESSEL noun- Any craft designed for transportation on water, such as a ship or boat.
- A craft designed for transportation through air or space.
- Dishes and cutlery collectively, especially if made of precious metals.
- A container of liquid or other substance, such as a glass, goblet, cup, bottle, bowl, or pitcher.
- A person as a container of qualities or feelings.
- A tube or canal that carries fluid in an animal or plant.
- To put into a vessel.