The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word CODLING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
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More clues leading to the result CODLING
- A couple of fish and an unripe apple
- Apple cooking gently with only one date
- Apple, little one underwater?
- Dictator’s pampering young swimmer
- Pair of fish for an apple
- Stick around old dock, primarily to find swimmer
- Two kinds of fish or one kind of apple
- Reportedly overprotecting young fish
- Apple computer programming absorbs learner
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "young swimmer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case young swimmer = codling.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 CODLING mean?
CODLING noun- A young small cod.
- A hake (cod-related food fish), notably from the genus Urophycis.
- To treat gently or with great care.
- To cook slowly in hot water that is below the boiling point.
- To exercise excessive or damaging authority in an attempt to protect. To overprotect.
- A small, immature apple
- Any of various greenish, elongated English apple varieties, used for cooking