The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word GERM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
G
E
R
M
More clues leading to the result GERM
- Article dismissed by a European source
- In manger Magi find tiny life form
- General manager catches royal bug
- European misses out on a new beginning
- Bug starts to get everyone really morbid
- Beginning of anger management
- European country ignoring any virus?
- European getting rid of an infectious organism
- … emerge from striking Old Master uncannily pure
- Country without any end or beginning
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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 GERM mean?
GERM noun- The small mass of cells from which a new organism develops; a seed, bud or spore.
- A pathogenic microorganism.
- The embryo of a seed, especially of a seed used as a cereal or grain. See Wikipedia article on cereal germ.
- The origin of an idea or project.
- An equivalence class that includes a specified function defined in an open neighborhood.
- To germinate.
- To grow, as if parasitic.