Cryptic crossword clue
Craft: ship defended by armed forces deserted by one sailor 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MILLINERY

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
M
I
L
L
I
N
E
R
Y

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Craft" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case craft = millinery.
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 MILLINERY mean?

MILLINERY noun
  1. Women's hats.
  2. A shop selling women's hats.
  3. The business and work that a milliner engages in.

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