The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ADRENALS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
D
R
E
N
A
L
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "glands/glands" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case glands/glands = adrenals.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 ADRENALS mean?
ADRENALS noun- An adrenal gland.